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| Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues >
2005
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April
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Research: Science and Education
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Chemical Education Research
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Boosting Complex Learning by Strategic Assessment and Course Design
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Christina Bergendahl
Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
Lena Tibell
Department of Biomedicine and Surgery, Linköping University, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden
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April 2005
Vol. 82 No. 4
p. 645
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| Abstract |
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Learning quality depends on the assessment methods used, as well as other factors. By choosing adequate assessments and involving students in the process of learning, students can gain a deeper understanding of the content and its context while developing related skills. In this study we describe a practical university-level biochemistry course that focuses on understanding protein separation and analysis techniques and especially on their application. The course was designed to examine the effects of a strategic use of different assessment methods and an analysis of the resulting outcomes. We used quantitative as well as qualitative methods, including a simplified variant of the Bloom taxonomy, statistical methods, principle component analysis, inquires, and interviews. We conclude that a strategic choice of assessments and instructional design can be used to achieve more complex learning. We did not find any single teaching or assessment method to be clearly the best for enhancing higher-order thinking or achieving all learning objectives; rather a combination of different methods (i.e., a strategic choice) seems the best approach.
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| Supplement |
A number of tables providing additional information about the course and students are available in this issue of JCE Online. The tables include a summary of the teaching and assessment methods and data collected during the course, examples of Bloom-based classification of exam questions and objectives for the grant proposal, examples of responses to the questionnaire about students’ perception of learning, students’ grades and mean values obtained from the different assessments, and students’ responses and the corresponding standard deviation values for the attitude statements.
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JCE2005p0645W.doc (Microsoft Word)
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| More Information |
Citation |
Bergendahl, Christina; Tibell, Lena. J. Chem. Educ. 2005 82 645.
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Keywords |
Biochemistry; CER Qualitative Methods; CER Quantitative Methods; CER Student-Centered Learning; Chemical Education Research; Testing / Assessment
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History |
Created:
Last Updated: |
March 4, 2005
March 14, 2005
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| Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues >
2005
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April
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645
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