Simulated Performance Assessments for Related Knowledge and Skills

1. Simulated Performance Assessments for Related Knowledge and Skills by John Chamberlain, CORD4901 Bosque Blvd• Waco, TX 76710Email: chamber@cord.org Supported by National Science Foundation, DUE-0603389

2. Teaching Performance-Type Skills • Trade skills(welding, construction,…) • High-risk(lasers, nuclear, bio-hazards,…) • High-cost (space program, surgery,…) • Rare/Controversial (procedures, research,…) • Troubleshooting(complex devices and situations) • Difficult (research, destructive testing, costly tools,…)

3. Performance Assessments • How do we assess hand skills? • Students • Employees • Paper/Pencil test (worst case) • Poorly represents performance • Generally indicates only head-knowledge • Requires well-designed test instrument • Hands-on test (best case) • Excellent measure of performance • Requires real-world equipment/conditions • Requires real-time proctor involvement

4. Background: The Previous Project Computer-Assisted Performance Assessments • Createdassessments in the “middle ground” • Realistically simulated the performance tasks (Univ of CO: PhET; Nat’l Instruments: LabVIEW) • Captureddataand scored it with an objective rubric (Concord: SAIL/OTrunk) • Compared scores with other tests • Better than paper-pencil, and safer, more convenient and cost effective than real hands-on assessments.

5. Computer-Assisted Performance Assessments... CAPA • Digital Multimeter • Using a DMM • Ohm’s Law • Oscilloscope • Freq and amplitude • Amplitude modulation • Circuit troubleshooting • Logic gates (digital) • Amplifier (analog) • More details are available at: http://capa.concord.org

6. What We Learned • Compared to multiple choice tests, conflicting interpretations of results. • Is the multiple choice test measuring the same thing as the hands-on simulation? • Is simulation giving adequate motor-skill feedback to approximate real-hands-on task? • Course instructors are very interested! • We frequently heard students ask, “Can I try it again? I can do better!” They are very interested, too!

7. A Follow-On Project Is Born! • Aha! Students want to improve their scores! • We can TEACH the skill/concept with simulations • As in CAPA... • Simulate real-world, hands-on tasks and equipment • “Watch over the shoulder” as student performs task • Score student actions as well as answers • Provide detailed report to student and teacher • In addition to CAPA... • Enable students to repeat the assessment and encourage them to improve their score • Track student performance: overall, and trouble areas • Run in a browser, requiring minimal software • Include tutorial material designed to teach!

8. Proposed Modules Simulated Performance Assessments for Related Knowledge and Skills 1 - Resistor Color Code 2 - Series Circuits 3 - Parallel Circuits 4 - Series-Parallel Circuits 5 – AC Series Circuits 6 - AC Parallel Circuits 7 - AC Series-Parallel Circuits 8 - Resonant Circuits Digital Multimeters,Breadboard, DC Oscilloscope, Function generator, AC

9. Module 1: Resistor Color Codes • Students are presented with • Realistic resistor • Random (but real) R values • A realistic, functioninginteractive digital multimeter • Tasks • Interpret resistor color bands • Measure R by properly using the digital multimeter • Compare with rated tolerance range

10. Modules 2-4: Resistors & DC • Students are presented with • Random (but real) R values • Realistic resistors in circuits on a realistic breadboard • A functioning, interactive digital multimeter (DMM) • Tasked with • Making voltage and current measurements in series and parallel circuits. • Calculating resistance values by applying Ohm’s Law.

11. Field Testing

12. For more information: http://sparks.concord.org (always under development ) • To contact us, send email to: sparks@concord.org