Assessment

Pedagogical assessment

In order to guide the development of DIMES curriculum, we developed a general framework for pedagogical assessment. 

Our approach to pedagogical assessment was informed largely by current literature assessing CURES (course-based undergraduate research experiences). The Assessment Team met monthly to: discuss best practices from literature, develop draft student learning objectives and guiding research questions, and review exemplary curriculum projects developed by others. Current literature on backward design (Cooper et al. 2017), overviews of existing assessment tools (Shortlidge and Brownell 2016; Corwin et al. 2015) and descriptions of CURE logic models (Corwin et al. 2014) were instructive in developing our approach. By beginning with the end in mind (i.e. using the backward design) we drafted the Student Learning Objectives (Table 1) and Research Questions (Table 2). 

Assessment leader: Deidre Sullivan

Assessment team: Kylla Benes, Morgan Eisenlord, Robin Elahi, Fred Hochstaedter, Danielle Haulsee, Jamie McDevitt-Irwin, Tom Mumford, Mikaela Provost

Table 1.  Student learning objectives

1. Identify and classify common species found on rocky shores

2. List abiotic and biotic factors that modify the abundance and distribution of species

3. Explain the fundamental principles of ecology as they relate to rocky shores

4. Describe the importance of natural history, biogeography and the role of long-term monitoring programs on advancing ecology and informing environmental management

5. Describe potential impacts of human activities and climate change on rocky shores

6. Use literature reviews to guide the development of research projects

7. Understand the difference between observational and experimental approaches and the types of questions each can address

8. Work collaboratively as part of a research team

9. Collect data using a variety of sampling methods designed for intertidal and subtidal rocky shores

10. Access and summarize data from environmental sensors

11. Collect data and enter it into a multi-user database

12. Mine data from past and/or existing ecological studies to provide context and comparisons for collected data

13. Analyze data through visualization and statistics to determine differences, patterns, and trends

14. Develop research questions, articulate testable hypotheses, develop conceptual models and/or determine future directions for new research based upon data analysis and literature reviews

15. Design and execute an empirical study (manipulative or observational) to address a research question and hypothesis

16. Present research project findings to others in the form of reports, posters, or presentations

Table 2. Guiding research questions

1. How are organisms distributed across space and time?

2. How are these patterns related to abiotic and biotic processes?