A Computer-Based Approach for Generating Standardized Student Assessment Using a First Year Biology Programme as a Model to Evaluate Its Effectiveness

 

Todd Nickle and Jeffrey Sheedy

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2001, Volume 22

Abstract

Biological Sciences education at Mount Royal College accommodates students from a variety of backgrounds to fulfill transfer requirements to complete a degree at the University level. We possess a large undergraduate Introduction to Biology program which requires coordination of several instructors to administer laboratory material to many small classes of students. To ensure consistency of student skill evaluation and to reduce the workload on instructors, we have designed a system for creating quizzes that can be presented to students at the beginning of each laboratory. In this workshop, we will demonstrate the software we designed which generates quizzes and answer keys on demand. The nature of the software and the logic of question design enables the program to handle “data cassettes” which can be transferred across a variety of computer platforms and which are relevant to any discipline for which multiple choice assessment is possible. The workshop will conclude with our observations of how the software has helped lab coordination, areas that need further investigation, and future enhancements to our protocol.

Keywords:  teaching assessment, assessment

Clemson University (2000)