In science, there are often many ideas that are frequently misinterpreted. This may be the result of students coping with making sense of abstract concepts. Also, since science is constantly changing to adapt to new discoveries and methods, some misconceptions may be due to old ideas or legends. Since the formation of new concepts is based on building on the foundation of old ones, it is imperative to uncover misconceptions in order to forward student learning.

In the first two weeks of study, students will be required to complete a series of activities which explore their own misconceptions in Space Science and those of others within the classroom. Formative assessment occurs when teachers feed information back to students at regular intervals in ways that enable the students to learn better, or when a student can engage in a similar self-reflective process (Gibbs and Simpson, 2005).

Through the development of activities, I have provided the opportunity for students to receive prompt  teacher feedback. Pupils will also be encouraged to engage in self and peer reflection. Gibbs and Simpson (2005) suggest that providing appropriate feedback influences learning, allowing the student to assess what they do and don’t know, thus focusing their education.

Activity Series

I. Scope & Sequence– Webpage for our journey in exploring misconceptions (please read on Moodle Site).

II. Quiz – Assessing our Misconception

A formative assessment ‘for learning’ can take the form of a ‘pre-test’. This aids in teacher planning, discussions, and identifies students’ weaknesses. Moodle quizzes allows the instructor to provide quick and direct feedback to the student immediately after completing the exam. 

Components on Exam	Description
#1-2               True or False	Moon & General Space Misconceptions with instant feedback provided.
#3-8              Multiple Choice	Gravity, Seasons, Speed, Stars, & Age Misconceptions with instant feedback provided.
#9-11                Matching	All three matching questions have more choices provided than necessary in order to avoid guessing. Instant feedback provided.
#12-13           Short Answers	With question #12, there are two correct alternatives provided, which award the participant full marks. There are a number of other possibilities that are considered partially correct. For those responses, the student is awarded ½ marks.
#14-15            Short Essay	Marked by instructor. Direct feedback will be provided.
Auto Assess/ Grade	Mark is out of 15, but the maximum grade a student. This particular quiz does not count ‘for’ or ‘against’ their overall mark.
Timing for entire quiz	30 minutes- This test must be secured. Since the purpose is to determine what students know and don’t understand, they will be required to complete the exam in a timely fashion.

 

III. WIKI– Admitting our Misconceptions

A class Wiki is provided, allowing students to share and work through common misconceptions. By providing a venue where the community of students can provide feedback to one another, I am encouraging students to evaluate and perhaps modify their current understanding of space, so that we can build upon their new, more solid foundation.

IV. Personal Reflections

As a stand-alone assessment of student misconceptions, the act of taking the exam would be meaningless without follow-up activities. The Wiki that explores student misconceptions is a good way to amalgamate all the misconceptions prevelant in the class. The final activity involves students creating a reflective journal entry detailing their own journey through the quiz and wiki activity. Students will be asked to share their personal misconceptions and if they have changed any preconceived ideas. This journal entry will be typed in Microsoft Word and submitted directly to the teacher. It will NOT be shared with the class.

V. Discussion Forum

To tie my activities together, I chose to include a discussion forum where the instructor can answer general queries related to the activity series. This platform  may also be employed as a means of encouraging participation, pushing students beyond their ‘comfort zone’ to critically think about their beleifs.

Reference:

Gibbs, G. and Simpson, C. (2005). “Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning.” Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Accessed online 11 March 2009 http://www.open.ac.uk/fast/pdfs/Gibbs%20and%20Simpson%202004-05.pdf