Effects of authentic assessment on student engagement levels in an undergraduate chemistry laboratory setting

CHED 99

Cheryl J. Campo, cheryl.campo@fredonia.edu1, Vincent L. Armella, vincent.armella@rcsdk12.org2, Katie R. Boyle3, Kathryn E. Fritzinger4, Nicole E. Hall5, Alana M. Hens4, Jessica L. Kreinsen4, Benjamin D. Montague1, and Kyle C. O'Connor1. (1) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, SUNY Fredonia, 207a Houghton Hall, Fredonia, NY 14063, (2) Frederick Douglass Campus - Science Department, Northeast College Preparatory School, 940 Fernwood Park, Rochester, NY 14609, (3) Department of Geosciences, SUNY Fredonia, Houghton Hall, Fredonia, NY 14063, (4) Department of Biology, SUNY Fredonia, Jewett Hall, Fredonia, NY 14063, (5) College of Education, SUNY Fredonia, Thompson Hall, Fredonia, NY 14063
Authentic assessment is a method of instruction in which the exercises and products undertaken and completed by students closely resemble what a field practitioner might be expected to do. In this study, the differences in engagement levels between a traditionally presented laboratory exercise and an authentic exercise were examined using observed target behaviors, student engagement surveys, and student achievement. The authentic exercise involved students collaborating to design experiments for the study of drug release from a polymer matrix. The students then executed their experiments and submitted a formal laboratory write-up of their results as a product. The traditionally presented laboratory exercise involved students following a highly detailed procedure from their laboratory manual regarding the transformation of copper into various species of differing oxidation states. Results indicated that students were more engaged in the authentic laboratory exercise, using higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy and increased amounts of revision and collaboration.
 

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