Narrative

TPE 5 focuses on beginning teachers' use of various types of assessments and assessment data to guide instruction, support student learning, and provide feedback to students and their families to help them take control of their own learning. Teachers are encouraged to use a variety of assessment and feedback types, and to involve students in self-assessment and reflection. Using technology, specialist data, and specific learning plans (e.g., 504, IEP, and ITP plans), teachers should strive to construct assessments that allow all students to demonstrate their knowledge fully and with appropriate accommodations, as needed. Finally, teachers should regularly collect assessment data to analyze instruction and intervention success, and to modify instruction as warranted.

For TPE 5, I have included a series of game-type study aids that I created to help students study for a traditional multiple-choice-style test covering DNA, RNA, and the Central Dogma of molecular biology. In addition, I have included a short report concerning data collected concerning student outcomes after the game-based intervention.

The game-type study aids were

• Presented a week prior to the test in a game-like learning interface (Classcraft)

• Completed by the students at their own pace.

• Open format allowing each game to be played an unlimited number of times to increase learning.

• Accompanied by two more-traditional quiz-format study aids created in Quzziz and Kahoot!

After the unit quiz was administered, I compared student performance on the quiz (Quiz 2) with their performance on the previous quiz (Quiz 1). Student scores improved significantly between the two quizzes: students gained, on average 15 percentage points and the mode was 21 points. A short report on the data is included below as evidence. My goal is to use a wide variety of assessments that include creative arts and a wider variety of expression. I also plan to regularly evaluate student assessment data to drive my teaching practice toward methods that work.

Artifacts / Evidence