What is at least one realistic way that you will assess the effectiveness of your project?

Jimmy Schryver

I will design a survey to determine which students made use of the MDID database as part of their review/study for the exams and then compile the data to see what use the database has been or what effect it has had on their exam performance.

I hope to do the same with their papers but this will be more difficult.

Tammy and Viktor- FL Group

For the fall semester, we plan to complete 2 modules. Since there are 2 sections of F1001, Vik can use the associative tools in one section and not in the other and compare outcomes in terms of:

1. Student motivation
2. Synthesis of material

To our minds, the best measure of success will be retention and increased participation in study abroad.

Greg Thorson

I will administer a revised version of the evaluation form that I used last year to measure the effectiveness of using “clickers” in the classroom. That will allow me to see if changes that I make this year produced better outcomes than last year’s administration.

I also plan to offer a midterm assessment to see if students are using the features of the software.

Bert Ahern

I want students to have more time on task in a regular manner- believing that this will improve their understanding.

1. Using PRS and other quizzes will provide evidence of this.
2. I will look for maintenance of level of participation over the semester.
3. I will also seek student reaction- a neutral to positive reaction in a mid-semester and final opinion survey.

Pam Solvie

I will use Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory to collect information on students’ learning styles. I will use a mid-semester and end of semester questionnaire to collect information on what tools are proving helpful for students in understanding course content. This year I will be asking (via questionnaire) what changes they (students) have made to incorporate skills from learning styles other than their preferred style. Task analysis (identifying skills needed to perform well) with learning tasks in class presentations will make students aware of skills needed and will hopefully lead to integration of learning styles.

Jeff Ratliff-Crain

Variation of assessment study already attempted: linking student exam scores to:

• Study tools & approaches used (self-report)
• Extent of use of tool.

Because of the nature of the course/tool, this ends up lacking some experimental control, but is ethically necessary.

A second project possibility will be to set up reading comprehension pre-test and post-tests in a more controlled environment. The issue is the time needed to learn new skills and continuing to apply them.

After setting up a more interactive approach, we hope to better assess which areas of advice (1) is needed, and (2) what underlies other areas or is more fundamental.

In sum, (1) informal assessment through student discussion and (2) as more formal research projects.

Ted Pappenfus

Nancy Carpenter and I are currently investigating the use of personal response systems in chemistry courses. A major goal/objective of the project is to improve student learning in our courses. A quick way to assess the effectiveness is to compare student performance with and without the use of clickers. Each fall we offer two general chemistry sections. A study could be performed by comparing student performance/learning in each course.