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Exploring undergraduates' understanding of photosynthesis using diagnostic question clusters
Joyce M Parker1, Charles W Anderson, Merle Heidemann
1Department of Geological Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Parker13@msu.edu
CBE Life Sciences Education
|March 3, 2012
Summary
This study introduces a diagnostic question cluster (DQC) to evaluate undergraduate students' reasoning about photosynthesis, finding many students struggle with core concepts and scientific principles. The multiple-true/false format shows potential for assessing mixed understanding in photosynthesis.
Area of Science:
- Biology education research
- Plant science
- Undergraduate science assessment
Background:
- Many undergraduates lack foundational understanding of photosynthesis.
- Assessing students' application of scientific principles in photosynthesis is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a diagnostic question cluster (DQC) for assessing undergraduates' reasoning about photosynthesis.
- To evaluate different question formats for their effectiveness in identifying student understanding.
- To explore the depth of students' comprehension of photosynthesis and related scientific principles.
Main Methods:
- Development and application of a diagnostic question cluster (DQC) on photosynthesis.
- Comparison of student responses across multiple-choice, multiple-true/false, and essay question formats.
- Conducting a cross-over study and student interviews to analyze understanding.
Main Results:
- The multiple-true/false format shows promise for machine-gradable assessment of mixed student understanding.
- Student interviews revealed the fragility of their comprehension of photosynthesis concepts.
- Many undergraduates demonstrate deficiencies in understanding photosynthesis's role in plant metabolism and applying scientific reasoning.
Conclusions:
- The DQC effectively assesses students' ability to apply core scientific principles to photosynthesis.
- Instructional strategies should address both conceptual understanding and scientific reasoning skills in photosynthesis.
- Further research into effective assessment methods for complex biological concepts is warranted.
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