GenBio-MAPS: A Programmatic Assessment to Measure Student Understanding of Vision and Change Core Concepts across...

Area of Science:

• Biology Education
• Undergraduate Science Assessment

Background:

• The Vision and Change report established core concepts for undergraduate biology.
• Assessing student mastery of these concepts is crucial for curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the General Biology-Measuring Achievement and Progression in Science (GenBio-MAPS) assessment.
• To evaluate its utility in measuring student understanding of core biology concepts across a degree program.

Main Methods:

• Administered the GenBio-MAPS assessment to over 5000 students at 20 institutions.
• Utilized linear mixed-effects models to analyze performance data and influencing factors.

Main Results:

• The GenBio-MAPS assessment effectively differentiated student understanding at various curriculum stages, showing performance increases over time.
• Advanced students still struggled with certain core concepts.
• Demographic factors (gender, race/ethnicity, English-language status, first-generation status) and institutional differences influenced performance.

Conclusions:

• GenBio-MAPS is the first comprehensive programmatic assessment for general biology aligned with Vision and Change core concepts.
• This tool can help biology departments monitor student learning and guide curriculum reform.