New Models of Assessment
Our projects on assessment are exploring new ways to capture compelling forms of learning that are missed by current methods of assessment.
Informal Learning
Informal learning can provide a host of intuitively compelling experiences. However, many of the cognitive or socio-emotional impacts of informal learning cannot be easily quantified, and most current assessments are a mismatch for the designed intent of these experiences. Filling out a survey or taking a test is not fun.
We are developing and testing new methods of assessment that are fun (hopefully) to complete and that capture whether informal experiences, such as games, after-school programs, and museum experiences, are preparing students for future learning. For youth, we take it that a major goal of informal experiences is to ignite interests and develop experiential knowledge or learning skills that can cash out later when opportunities arise. Our assessments aim to detect whether informal experiences are accomplishing these goals and thereby provide designers and developers a behaviorally-based form of feedback for improvement.
Relevant publications:
- Chin, D.B., Wolf, R.C., Blair, K.P. & Schwartz, D.L. (2021, April). Got data? Developing an online, choice-based assessment of data literacy skills. Paper presented in Session: Supporting climate and data literacy in rural communities by incorporating authentic experiences in formal and informal settings at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual Conference, virtual.
- Blair, K.P., Chin, D.B., & Schwartz, D.L. (2019, April). Using choice-based assessment to measure the effects of a summer camp program on persistence. Paper presented at AERA Annual Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Chin, D.B., Conlin, L.D., Blair, K. P. & Schwartz, D.L. (2018, April). Capturing the spark: Using choice-based assessment to measure the impact of making. Poster presented at AERA Annual Conference, New York, NY.
- Conlin, L. & Chin, D.B. (2016, June). Can tinkering prepare students to learn physics concepts? Proceedings of the the 2016 Meeting of the American Society of Engineering Education, New Orleans, LA.
- Conlin, L.D., Chin, D.B., Blair, K.P., Cutumisu, M., & Schwartz, D.L. (2015, June). Guardian angels of our better nature: Finding evidence of the benefits of design thinking. Proceedings of the 2015 Meeting of the American Society of Engineering Education, Seattle, WA. Selected for Best Papers session of the Design in Engineering Education Division.
- Arena, D. A., & Schwartz, D. L. (2013). Experience and explanation: Using videogames to prepare students for formal instruction in statistics. Journal of Science Education and Technology.
