Embedded Files
Here we provide three sets of resources to help you integrate embedded assessments (EA) into a citizen science program. Note that we recommend some prior evaluation experience to effectively use these resources.
Resource 1: Two Embedded Assessments of Scientific Observation
Resource 1: Two Embedded Assessments of Scientific Observation
Below are EA instructions and templates that can be used for a wide range of citizen science projects. These EAs are specifically designed to assess an individual's proficiency of two science inquiry subskills that are associated with scientific observations:
Noticing relevant features of organisms or phenomena of interest
Recording standard observations when following a scientific protocol
To learn more about how we developed these EAs, please see Our Process page.
Instructions and Template for Record Standard Observations EA
Instructions and Template for Notice Relevant Features EA
Recording Standard Observations EA Instructions and Template.pdfNotice Relevant Features EA Instructions and Template.pdfResource 2: Worksheets to help articulate subskills associated with scientific observation
Resource 2: Worksheets to help articulate subskills associated with scientific observation
Below are two worksheets that can be used to prior to adapting and using the above EAs. These worksheet can help:
Break down multidimensional science inquiry skills into well-defined subskills that can be assessed (Skill Hierarchy Worksheet).
Rank these subskills based on project goals and activities to determine which ones to focus on for an EA (Skill Ranking Worksheet)
Note that we provide these additional resources because our work indicated that many citizen science projects do not clearly define target science inquiry skills. These skills are fundamental to any scientific endeavor, and must be clearly and narrowly articulated before pursuing EAs. This clarification is also important for projects to ensure they are providing the necessary training and data collection protocols to their volunteers.
Skill Hierarchy Worksheet
This exercise uses the worksheet below and these operational definitions to discuss science skills at different magnifications and in a clear and efficient manner.
Skill-based outcomes can be broken down into tasks.
Tasks are steps in existing CS project protocols that specify when, where, and how observations should be collected to achieve the targeted skill-based outcome (Phillips et al. 2018).
Skills are actions that volunteers perform in order to complete a task. (Some skills can be divided into smaller, more specific subskills.)
Subskills are part of and necessary to perform a complex skill. Not all skills need to be broken down into subskills.
Skill Ranking Worksheet
This exercise uses guiding questions to reflect on the relevance of the skills identified to achieving the intended observational skill-based outcome. The questions focus on the skill’s impact on:
● the reliability of science data
● whether it was part of a required or optional protocol task
● if the project provided training for the skill
● if the data for this measure were associated with individual volunteers
● the expected feasibility of the analysis
● the possible impact on program decision making if more was known about volunteers’ ability with the skill
Skill-Based Outcome Hierarchy Worksheet.pdfSkills Analysis Ranking Worksheet.pdfResource 3: Embedded Assessments Guide for Citizen Science: Determining if embedded assessments are appropriate for your citizen science project
Resource 3: Embedded Assessments Guide for Citizen Science: Determining if embedded assessments are appropriate for your citizen science project
The purpose of this Guide is to help evaluators, researchers, and citizen science project teams determine if an embedded assessment (EA) is the appropriate method for their purpose and, if so, which type of EA is most useful. The Guide assumes some prior experience in designing and implementing assessments and evaluations.
A Guide for Using Embedded Assessment (EA) to measure participants’ skills.pdfPage updated
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