The purpose of this study was to assess and describe the status of program evaluation within the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) sites. The National Science Foundation's REU program supports thousands of undergraduates annually in hands-on, immersive research experiences under the mentorship of…

Our objective was to examine if a co-curricular activity incorporated with assessment methods affected students' competence in a course. Natural Sciences (201) was chosen as a candidate course for this study. Students' grade breakdown was examined and analyzed using SPSS and MINITAB software over four academic years from Fall 2012-13 to Fall…

Historically, the implementation of research-based assessments (RBAs) has been a driver of educational change within physics and helped motivate adoption of interactive engagement pedagogies. Until recently, RBAs were given to students exclusively on paper and in class; however, this approach has important drawbacks including decentralized data…

This study developed and implemented a learner-centered assessment named Creative Exercises (CEs) in introductory chemistry courses at a four-year university and a two-year community college. CEs were developed and implemented as an intervention for treatment groups. The control groups only used traditional assessments such as multiple-choice and…

This communication reports the curriculum changes and how they worked when an upper-level experimental physical chemistry course had to switch from face-to-face to online teaching within a matter of days. Although several of the learning goals of the laboratory-based course could still be met in the online environment, others required…

At the authors' public liberal arts institution, biology masters students are required to enroll in BIOL 5050: Teaching Techniques. Course topics include designing effective lectures, assessment, classroom management, diversity in the classroom, and active learning strategies. The impact of this type of training on graduate students' attitudes and…

Engineering byDesign™ (EbD) provides teachers and students with reflective, formative, and comprehensive summative assessment tools throughout the curriculum. Each lesson, unit, and course is created with a list of essential questions that are meant to guide students to a deeper understanding of national standards across the STEM domains (STL,…

The goal of the Department of Biological Sciences faculty was to evaluate how effectively our undergraduate biology program supports the goals and intended outcomes of our department and institution. Student responses in written assessment tests have provided the foundation of this evaluation. Each semester questions were selected by a…

Students often complain about their perceived disconnect between the time and effort spent studying and their subsequent performance on exams. Robert Bjork's research asserts that retrieval of stored information acts as a memory modifier, and that using tests as learning events creates "desirable difficulties that enhance learning."…

This paper presents results evaluating the National Science Foundation's Comprehensive Assistance to Undergraduate Science Education (CAUSE) program focusing on: (1) institutional needs; (2) project implementation; (3) quality of instructional improvement; (4) evaluation; (5) project costs; and (6) recommendations. Evaluation methods included…

Presented is a brief summary of an extensive three-volume evaluation report of the National Science Foundation Comprehensive Assistance to Undergraduate Science Education (CAUSE) program, a program developed to encourage the improvement in quality and effectiveness of undergraduate science education in institutions of higher education. Within this…

The aim of this study was to investigate whether, in the Hong Kong context, self- and peer-assessment promote students' self-reflection and enable students to understand their own strengths and weaknesses better. A three-stage assessment strategy was employed in three Science courses at The Chinese University of Hong Kong: (1) students developing…

Describes three interactive programs in the general physics area which are prepared on time-shared facilities to assist a student to self-test himself for an understanding of light reflection problems. Examples of computer printout are given. (CC)

The Texas Electronic Coalition for Physics was established in 2000 as a means of demonstrating that by linking together, small programs can maintain their vitality in higher education. Using Interactive Television, the Internet, telephones, faxes, and other electronic media, five physics programs scattered across the state of Texas formed a…

Presented is the initial volume of a three-volume report detailing the evaluation of the National Science Foundation Comprehensive Assistance to Undergraduate Science Education (CAUSE) program, a program developed to encourage the improvement in quality and effectiveness of undergraduate science education in institutions of higher education.…