The Quest for Good Assessments for Research and Evaluation

• Activity Number: 529
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 12, 2015 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Laura Ziegler* and Elizabeth Fry* and Matt Beckman* and Anelise Sabbag* and Ethan Brown*
• Companies: Iowa State University and University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota
• Keywords: Assessment ; Statistics Education ; Statistical Literacy ; Statistical Reasoning ; Statistical Thinking ; Assessment Development

Abstract

This panel will examine the importance of high quality assessments to be used to study teaching and learning or evaluate new curricular approaches. Each of the panelists has been involved in assessment development and can reflect on the unique issues they faced as well as lessons learned. The focus of student assessments in this session will be on statistical literacy, reasoning, and thinking, and transfer of cognitive outcomes. Issues related to assessing teachers' practices and beliefs will also be addressed. The questions used to structure discussion among the panelists will include: 1. When you began to learn about assessment in statistics education, what did you expect to find and what did you actually find? How did you see assessment being used and misused? 2. What has your experience been in developing one or more assessments? And what lessons have you learned from this process? 3. What do the assessments described in this session have to offer the statistics education community? 4. What do you see as future assessment needs in the field? 5. What advice do you have to those seeking a good assessment to use in research on or evaluation of student learning?