Overview
This project will address the need to support middle school science teachers in using three-dimensional (3D; science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas) science assessments.
This project aims to significantly increase the alignment of 3D assessment, NGSS-aligned instruction, and 3D learning by providing AI-automated score reports of 3D assessments coupled with pedagogical content knowledge supports to assist science teachers’ instructional decision-making.
As 3D assessments are performance-based constructed responses, teachers have difficulties making sense of the assessment information in the on-going teaching, even when the information could be provided immediately by automatic scoring.
The project has three goals:
- Develop automatically generated student reports (AutoR) for 3D assessments to assist science teachers to notice, attend to, and interpret information in ongoing classroom teaching
- Develop effective pedagogical content knowledge supports (PCKSs) to improve teachers’ use of AutoRs to make effective decisions for instructional moves
- Examine the effectiveness of AutoRs and PCKSs to support teachers’ decision making and student 3D learning.
Intended Impact
The AutoRs and PCKSs for teachers to use 3D assessments, if effective, will catalyze high-quality classroom assessment practice aligned with the NGSS vision, directly promoting the 3D science learning for the participating students (8,100) in the 56 participating teachers’ current and forthcoming classes, thus addressing the urgent needs of increasing STEM workforce.
Exploring the effectiveness of PCKSs for teachers’ use of 3D assessments will facilitate professional learning, directly improving the 56 participating teachers’ literacy about 3D instruction, learning, and assessments.