Learning Assessment Loop Closing
Activity
in the Biology Department
Vivian Navas
Biology Department Assessment
Coordinator
May 2006
Assess Student Learning in the
General Biology II Course
Justification

This course
– required for all biology majors (enrolls
about 400 students per year)
– taken in their freshman year
– Teaches fundamental scientific
concepts needed in more advanced
courses
Activity
 A pre-test
on course content is
offered on the first day of class
and the same exam is offered
as post-test at end of semester
Objectives


Evaluate the teaching/learning effectiveness
Identify
– misconceptions that students bring to
course
– and persisting misconceptions
Instrument


21 multiple choice questions
Include fundamental concepts discussed in
the course
–
–
–
–
–
Evolution
Classification
Kingdoms
Plant tissues, growth, transport, reproduction
Animal tissues and systems
Loop Closing

Pre activity: Pre test 3052

Intervention: Lectures, laboratory
exercises, course activities

Post activity: Post test 3052

Results and actions taken:
Results
Impacted Population

Students
– Pre test - 429 students
– Post test – 346 students

Three different faculty members
Results of Pre and Post test
GEN BIOL II
Global
100%
95.95% 97.11%
95.38%
93.93%
92.20%
90.68%
90%
87.41%
86.13%
85.08%
84.68%
79.72%
78.61%
80%
% students with correct answer
85.26%
84.97%
78.90%
78.32%
75.52%
75.06%
72.49%
68.79%
70%
68.79%
66.76%
78.32%
74.86%
66.76%
61.85%
61.85%
60%
53.18%
50%
50.12%
48.48%
46.62%
42.19%
40%
41.03%
43.12%
42.66%
35.20%
30%
31.47%
30.07%
29.37%
29.37%
26.81%
20%
13.75%
10%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Test Questions
pre n-429
post n-346
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Faculty and Global Average
90%
85.29%
82.11%
78.70%
80%
77.29%
Test average
70%
66.38%
60%
55.83%
50.45%
51.25%
50.42%
47.74%
50%
pre average
post average
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Faculty 1
Faculty 2
Faculty 3
Faculty
Faculty 4
Global
% of
students
with
incorrect
answer
Incorrect
Answers in Pre
test
100
90
86.25
80
73.19
70.63
70.63
69.93
68.53
70
64.80
57.81
60
58.97
57.34
56.88
53.38
51.52
49.88
50
40
30
27.51
24.94
24.48
20.28
20
14.92
12.59
9.32
10
0
1
2
3
4
5
*6
7
8
*9
10
Test questions
11
12
13
14
bold-misconceptions
15 16
17
18
19
20
21
PRE TEST

Most failed questions (by over 50% of students)13/21 (3,4,6,7,9,11,14,15,16,17,18,20, 21)

Misconceptions in pretest (incorrect by more than 50%
of students and same incorrect answer was chosen by more than
40%)
–
–
–
–
6-D smooth and striated muscle move arms and legs
7- E blood is not a connective tissue
9-C blood has no defense functions
16-C all chordates are vertebrates
Results of Pre and Post test
GEN BIOL II
Global
100%
95.95% 97.11%
95.38%
93.93%
92.20%
90.68%
90%
87.41%
86.13%
85.08%
84.68%
79.72%
78.61%
80%
% students with correct answer
85.26%
84.97%
78.90%
78.32%
75.52%
75.06%
72.49%
68.79%
70%
68.79%
66.76%
78.32%
74.86%
66.76%
61.85%
61.85%
60%
53.18%
50%
50.12%
48.48%
46.62%
42.19%
40%
41.03%
43.12%
42.66%
35.20%
30%
31.47%
30.07%
29.37%
29.37%
26.81%
20%
13.75%
10%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Test Questions
pre n-429
post n-346
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
% students with incorrect answer
Incorrect Answers in Post Test
50%
46.82%
45%
40%
38.15%
35%
38.15%
33.24%
33.24%
31.21%
31.21%
30%
25.14%
25%
Series1
21.39%
21.68%
21.10%
21.68%
20%
15.03%
15.32%
14.74%
13.87%
15%
10%
7.80%
6.07%
5%
4.62%
4.05%
2.89%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Test questions bold-misconceptions
16
17
18
19
20
21
POST TEST

Most failed questions in Post test (by more than
25% of students)- 8/21
3, 4, 6, 9,11,15, 16, 17

Misconceptions in post test (answer incorrectly

and same incorrect answer was chosen by more than
40% of those who failed it)




6-D
9-C
15-C animal and plant distinction
16C
Results

Improvement in knowledge in all but one
question (10)- immunology
–


Question 10 has misleading terminology
Misconceptions- most students clarified
incoming misconceptions
In some students the misconceptions
persisted thus:
–
traditional teaching was not sufficient to correct
them
Closing the loop
Actions taken according to
results
Actions



In some sections post test was offered
before semester ended
Students took post test twice
– Individually
– In groups of 4-6 students
 Review for final exam
Incorrect concepts were discussed again to
the entire group
Group Post Test Discussion
Activity
Participating students- 89 students
 14/18 - perfect score
 2/18 -1 incorrect (#9)
 1/18 - 2 incorrect (#9 and #16)
 1/18 – 3 incorrect (#3, 4, 6)
Actions


Results presented to the faculty teaching the
course before the semester ended
Faculty received
–
–


Their own results
Global results
Failed questions and misconceptions were
analyzed
Strategies were discussed
Strategies




Discuss missed concepts again before
semester ends
Some will ask again in final
Do group discussion of posttest
Discuss these results
–
–

with the faculty that will teach course next semester
with teaching assistants of the course
Faculty compare their individual results
throughout next semesters to evaluate their
efforts in clarifying misconceptions
Actions




Review course content
Modify the diagnostic test
Correct pretest at beginning of semester to see
what students bring and misconceptions to
develop strategies throughout semester
Conduct same study in the General Biology I
course
Innovations

The diagnostic test was used as teaching/
learning tools – to improve student
understanding
–

Group test discussion
Post tests offered before semester endedallowed for immediate action
Future studies


Diagnostic test in General Biology I
Ethics in science across the curriculum