Re: Testing Thinking Level of students

[John Clement <clement@HAL-PC.ORG>]

It is published in Anton Lawson's book "Science Teaching and the Development
of Thinking".  It is based on the ideas of Piaget, extended by others.
Essentially it has 12 questions where the students must give both a correct
answer (sometimes multiple choice) and a correct reason.  This combination
scoring makes the test more difficult to score, but makes the scores very
reliable.  In addition one can look at the written responses and see
improvement even when the scoring does not show it.  His book gives many
details, and is a wonderful read.

  The breakdown of the questions are as follows:
1.  Conservation of mass (weight)
2.  Conservaton of volume
3.  Proportion/ratio
4.  Advanced proportion/ration
5.  Control of variables a
6.  Control of vartiables b
7.  2 variable test/ proportions
8.  2 variable test/ proportions b
9.  Sequencing
10. Probability
11. Probability advanced
12. Proportion/probability relations combined.

Anton Lawson has published many articles using this and similar tests.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators
> [mailto:PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu]On Behalf Of SSHS KPHOX
> Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 12:50 PM
> To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
> Subject: Testing Thinking Level of students
>
>
> PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu writes:
> > I have data on a variety of students at different ages, and the test that
> > evaluates them is very simple.  It rivals the FCI in its simplicity, but
> > it
> > looks at general science thinking ideas.
>
> Can you tell more about this test?
>
> Ken Fox
> Science Department Coordinator
> IB Physics Teacher
> Smoky Hill High School
> Aurora, CO