Using Scenarios to Assess Student Learning

Abstract

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) define science literacy as having the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes and the ability to question natural world phenomena (National Research Council 2012). When students engage with texts that deal with real world issues, they can look for claims supported by evidence and work with reasoning of other students through interactive conversations about the data and sharing of ideas. Therefore, integrating scientific arguments into the classroom is an important step in developing scientific literacy as it helps students engage in authentic learning through a variety of practices and methods to construct and evaluate claims and evidence. In our teaching and professional learning programs, we address the question of how to meaningfully assess students’ science literacy and ability to engage in science argumentation through a CER framework that incorporates the Next Generation Science Standards. The answer to our inquiry was the development of Scenario-based Assessments (SBA). This article explains the elements of an SBA and presents a template and example of SBAs that could be used in middle and high school STEM classrooms.

Keywords:

• Scenario-based Assessments (SBA)
• STEM literacy
• argumentation
• socio-scientific issues

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

FUNDING

This project has been funded by the NSF DRK-12, #2010312.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00368555.2024.2314683.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maha K. Kareem

Maha K. Kareem ([email protected]) completed her PhD in English Education at the University of Missouri. Her research interests focus on multilingual writers and their experiences in academic writing. Kareem has been part of the grant-funded STEM Literacy Project (NSF DRK-12 grant) since 2020. She is currently a faculty member at the University of Baghdad/College of Languages where she teaches composition and comprehension. Kareem has over 20 years of experience teaching second language learners.

Amy Lannin

Amy Lannin is an Associate Professor of English Education at the University of Missouri and directs the Campus Writing Program, a program to support writing in the disciplines. Lannin has directed several grant-funded projects including the STEM Literacy Project (NSF DRK-12 grant), co-PI for Linking Science, Mathematics & Literacy Program (NIH/SEPA grant), and PI for the Show Me Literacies Collaborative (Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant – Department of Education). Lannin is the director of the Missouri Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project.

William Romine

William Romine (ORCID: 0000-0002-0386-1688) directs the Data Science for Education Laboratory at Wright State University. He works with university students at all levels to understand how students learn in a data-driven way.

Nancy Singer

Nancy Singer serves as associate dean in the College of Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her research interests include teacher preparation, literacy professional development, and writing assessment.

Marsha Tyson

Marsha Tyson, PAEMST Awardee and WIPRO Science Fellow, is a Physics teacher and Science Department Chair at Battle High School in Columbia, MO. She also serves as an adjunct instructor of science education methods at University of Missouri-Columbia, as well as part of the STEM Literacy Project Planning Team.

Katie Kline

Katie Kline directs the Greater Kansas City Writing Project at the University of Central Missouri. She tries to improve learning opportunities for all students by working in collaboration with educators across grade levels and disciplines.

Michelle Kendrick

Michelle Kendrick served for 22 years as a program coordinator and trainer at the eMINTS National Center, an outreach unit of the University of the Missouri College of Education and Human Development. She is currently enjoying her retirement.

Sam Otten,

Samuel Otten is the Department Chair of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum at the University of Missouri. He is an associate professor in mathematics education. His research centers on students’ participation in mathematical practices at the secondary level, with a focus on classroom discourse and instructional technology.

Sarah Apple

Sarah Apple teaches science at Raytown South High School and is also the Secondary Science Coordinator for the Raytown School District. The work she did with the STEM Literacy Project led her to collaborate with and facilitate professional learning for teachers in a variety of school districts in the region. Her approach to the classroom is to make socio-scientific issues and real world learning experiences the key to scientific literacy. Apple also participated in the development of COVID-19 Curriculum Materials as part of the Responding to an Emerging Epidemic through Science Education (REESE) project (funded by the National Science Foundation 2020-2021).