Rather than using a traditional means of assessing student learning, the IMaST program assesses student learning and understanding by evaluating how well students can apply acquired knowledge and skills in new situations. Student behavior--the things students can do, say, illustrate, or write--is viewed as evidence that learning has occurred. Concepts and skills are assessed at both the individual student and group levels through completion of assignments that reflect student ability to reason, communicate, and solve problems. This "authentic assessment" measures knowledge, skills, and attitudes, as outlined in the activity objectives, using instructional methods that are appropriate to the task and common to the "hands-on" approach.
To assess discipline-specific skills, processes, and content, the teacher's resource edition
includes, at the end of each mathematics, science, and technology activity, an activity assessment and a rubric outlining grading criteria. Each IMaST activity assessment is a problem-based performance measure of both content and process skills that relate to that activity's objectives. With slight modifications, these activity assessments may be used for either individual or team assessments
The IMaST End-of-Module Assessment is an integrated assessment that measures students' ability to apply the concepts learned in the course of the module to new situations.
The integrated End-of-Module Assessment consists of five parts:
• Group Process Activity
• Portfolio Assessment
• DAPIC Self-Assessment
• DAPIC Assessment (Teacher)
• Team Growth Rubric
The Group Process Activity assessment incorporates content and processes from all three disciplines--mathematics, science, and technology--and focuses on the module objectives. The Group Process Activity assessment presents a problem-based scenario that requires student teams to apply DAPIC, as well as the concepts and skills they developed throughout the module's mathematics, science, and technology activities, to develop their solution.
The Portfolio Assessment asks students to write an essay describing the module key concepts. Students are required to write one paragraph defining the key concepts in terms of the module theme and attach substantiation documents, such as Journal Sheets, activity assessments, project specifications, etc., that illustrate the statements made in the essay. Rubrics are provided to evaluate student work for the Group Process Activity and the Portfolio Assessments. The Group Process Activity and Portfolio Assessments rubrics are included in the teacher's resource edition.
The DAPIC Self-Assessment (for students) and DAPIC Assessment (for teachers) contain rubrics for assessing the use of DAPIC during the Group Process Activity assessment. Although created for the End-of-Module Assessment, these forms can also be used throughout the module, perhaps as often as after each activity. The DAPIC Self-Assessment for students gives students the opportunity to register their perception of their success in using DAPIC. The DAPIC Assessment for teachers allows teachers to compare their perception of a student's achievement with the perception of the student himself.
The Team Growth Rubric assesses student team skills during the Group Process Activity assessment, but it can also be used throughout the module. The Team Growth Rubric can be modified for use as a self-assessment similar to the DAPIC Self-Assessment. Team Growth Rubrics are included in the teacher resource edition.
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