A n NCLT Assessment Workshop led by Jim Pellegrino and Joe Krajcik was held at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on August 13-14, 2007. The goal of this two-day workshop was to develop a common language and approach for developing assessments that relate to the “big ideas” in nanoscience. This workshop was attended by 27 Center members who contributed to the discussions from their diverse expertise.

As a result of two days of intensive work, the Center members developed a process that follows the logic of “Evidence Centered Design” for developing assessments¹. This is a powerful and flexible framework that has been used for developing standardized tests (e.g. GRE) as well as assessments related to a curriculum. Small groups of multidisciplinary expertise each focused on applying it to a specific ‘big idea’ in nanoscience (Forces & Interactions, Self-Assembly, Size and Geometry and Size-Dependent Properties). For each of these big ideas, the participants worked to answer three questions: (1) exactly what knowledge should be assessed? (2) what does it mean to know that, and what kind of statements or performances are necessary to demonstrate that knowledge? and (3) what particular tasks, questions or situations will bring about the appropriate type of response?

To support the process a wiki was constructed for the sharing of information, ideas, and work products – before, during, and after the workshop. For more details and resources, go to the working wiki on NCLT assessment at http://assessment-ws.wikispaces.com/

1 - Mislevy, R. J., Almond, R. G., & Lukas, J. F. (2004). A brief introduction to evidence-centered design (CSE Technical Report 632). Los Angeles: National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), Center for the Study of Evaluation, UCLA.