Researchers from the AACR group at MSU are hosting a facilitated discussion as part of the AAC&U virtual conference on Transforming STEM Higher Education. (https://www.aacu.org/events/2020-virtual-conference-transforming-stem-higher-education)

Our session is Friday, November 6 at 3:15-4:15 p.m. ET. Stop by if you can and see how tools developed by our research efforts can be applied in your classroom and inform your teaching!  

What do your students think? Automated analysis of student writing in STEM
Co-facilitotors: Juli Uhl, Megan Shiroda, Jenifer Saldanha, and Kevin Haudek

Current best teaching practices include an emphasis on the authentic practices of STEM disciplines, including constructing explanations, which are best assessed in an open format rather than multiple choice. To overcome the challenge of assessing large numbers of student open responses, our group developed an automated formative assessment tool capable of rapidly producing reports about student thinking in various STEM disciplines. Our studies indicate that the tool performs equally well on student responses from multiple institution types. Instructors have successfully used this tool to refine teaching practice, develop instructional materials, and improve student learning. In this workshop, attendees will explore the tool and reports to examine student thinking, and interact to discuss methods they can use in the classroom to address misconceptions and improve learning.  

Find the slides and example reports used in the session below. 

Slides

Example reports