Development of a Tool to Assess Interrelated Experimental Design in Introductory Biology †
-
Authors:
Tess L. Killpack1,‡,*,
Sara M. Fulmer2,‡
-
Received 14 May 2018 Accepted 14 September 2018 Published 31 October 2018
- ©2018 Author(s). Published by the American Society for Microbiology.
-
[open-access] This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ and https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode), which grants the public the nonexclusive right to copy, distribute, or display the published work.
-
†Supplemental materials available at http://asmscience.org/jmbe
- *Corresponding author. Mailing address: Biology Department, Salem State University, 352 Lafayette Street, Salem, MA 01970. Phone: 978-542-3085. E-mail: [email protected].
-
‡ These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract:
Designing experiments and applying the process of science are core competencies for many introductory courses and course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). However, experimental design is a complex process that challenges many introductory students. We describe the development of a tool to assess interrelated experimental design (TIED) in an introductory biology lab course. We describe the interrater reliability of the tool, its effectiveness in detecting variability and growth in experimental-design skills, and its adaptability for use in various contexts. The final tool contained five components, each with multiple criteria in the form of a checklist such that a high-quality response—in which students align the different components of their experimental design—satisfies all criteria. The tool showed excellent interrater reliability and captured the full range of introductory-student skill levels, with few students hitting the assessment ceiling or floor. The scoring tool detected growth in student skills from the beginning to the end of the semester, with significant differences between pre- and post-assessment scores for the Total Score and for the Data Collection and Observations component scores. This authentic assessment task and scoring tool provide meaningful feedback to instructors about the strengths, gaps, and growth in introductory students’ experimental-design skills and can be scored reliably by multiple instructors. The TIED can also be adapted to a number of experimental-design prompts and learning objectives, and therefore can be useful for a variety of introductory courses and CUREs.
References & Citations
Supplemental Material
-
Appendix 1: Comparisons of the TIED with other published scoring tools for experimental design, Appendix 2: Examples that do not earn credit for a given TIED criteria, Appendix 3: Examples of complete student responses that earned full points or only “Attempts a response” points based on TIED criteria
-
MyBook is a cheap paperback edition of the original book and will be sold at uniform, low price.
-
PDF
356.50 Kb
-
PDF
-

Article metrics loading...
Abstract:
Designing experiments and applying the process of science are core competencies for many introductory courses and course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). However, experimental design is a complex process that challenges many introductory students. We describe the development of a tool to assess interrelated experimental design (TIED) in an introductory biology lab course. We describe the interrater reliability of the tool, its effectiveness in detecting variability and growth in experimental-design skills, and its adaptability for use in various contexts. The final tool contained five components, each with multiple criteria in the form of a checklist such that a high-quality response—in which students align the different components of their experimental design—satisfies all criteria. The tool showed excellent interrater reliability and captured the full range of introductory-student skill levels, with few students hitting the assessment ceiling or floor. The scoring tool detected growth in student skills from the beginning to the end of the semester, with significant differences between pre- and post-assessment scores for the Total Score and for the Data Collection and Observations component scores. This authentic assessment task and scoring tool provide meaningful feedback to instructors about the strengths, gaps, and growth in introductory students’ experimental-design skills and can be scored reliably by multiple instructors. The TIED can also be adapted to a number of experimental-design prompts and learning objectives, and therefore can be useful for a variety of introductory courses and CUREs.

Full text loading...
Author and Article Information
-
Received 14 May 2018 Accepted 14 September 2018 Published 31 October 2018
- ©2018 Author(s). Published by the American Society for Microbiology.
-
[open-access] This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ and https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode), which grants the public the nonexclusive right to copy, distribute, or display the published work.
-
†Supplemental materials available at http://asmscience.org/jmbe
- *Corresponding author. Mailing address: Biology Department, Salem State University, 352 Lafayette Street, Salem, MA 01970. Phone: 978-542-3085. E-mail: [email protected].
-
‡ These authors contributed equally to this work.
Figures

Click to view
FIGURE 1
TIED: A scoring tool for interrelated experimental design.

Click to view
FIGURE 2
Histograms representing the number of students achieving each total TIED score on the pre- and post-assessment.