Concept Inventories
Jim SmithMichigan State UniversityLyman Briggs College
What is a concept inventory?
How are concept inventories built?
How many concept inventories are there in biology?
Are concept inventories the “silver bullet”?
How might you use a concept inventory in your SoTL project?
Learning Goals
By the end of this session, scholars will:
• Know what a concept inventory is;
• Explain how a concept inventory is built;
• Describe some of the existing concept inventories in biology; and
• Have thought about how a concept inventory might be of use in their own SoTL project.
Klymkowski 2012
Hake RR. 1998. Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six thousand student survey of mechanics test data evaluation of active learning laboratory and lecture curricula for introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics 66: 64–74.
Concept Inventories
Nice example of how to build and assess a concept inventory
Concept Inventories
One example of a potentially useful concept inventory
Concept Inventories
Sample question from the GCA
Concept Inventories
The CINS: A (fairly) controversial concept inventory
The CINS: A (fairly) controversial concept inventory
Concept Inventories
A compendium of concept inventories
Concept Inventories
A Good Review
Concept Inventories
Diagnostic Question Clusters (DQC)
Learning Goals
By the end of this session, scholars will:
• Know what a concept inventory is;
• Explain how a concept inventory is built;
• Describe some of the existing concept inventories in biology; and
• Have thought about how a concept inventory might be of use in their own SoTL project.
Concept InventoriesReferences Klymkowski M. 2012. http://bioliteracy.colorado.edu/ConceptInventory.html,
accessed 7/23/12.
Smith MK, Wood WB, Knight JK. 2008. The Genetics Concept Assessment: A New Concept Inventory for Gauging Student Understanding of Genetics. CBE—Life Sciences Education 7, 422 – 430.
D’Avanzo C. 2008. Biology Concept Inventories: Overview, Status, and Next Steps. BioScience 58, 1 – 7.
Anderson, D.L., Fisher, K.M., & Norman, G.J. (2002). Development and Evaluation of the Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39, 952-978.
Fisher, K.M. and K.S. Williams. 2011. Concept Inventories and Conceptual Assessments in Biology (CABs): An annotated list. http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/CRMSE/files/Concept_Inventories_in_Biology_20110325.pdf
Patrick MJ. 2008. Thinking Like A Biologist Using Diagnostic Questions to Help Students Reason With Biological Principles. http://www.biodqc.org/overview, accessed 7/23/12.
Abe Lincoln’s Hat
