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1. Impact of COVID-19 Curricular Shifts on Learning Gains on the Microbiology for Health Sciences Concept Inventory

   https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v22i1.2425  

   Seitz, Heather; Rediske, Andrea (April 2021, Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education)

   ABSTRACT As a validated assessment, the Microbiology for Health Sciences Concept Inventory (MHSCI) is a valuable tool to evaluate student progress in health sciences microbiology courses. In this brief analysis, we survey MHSCI faculty users and report student MHSCI scores to determine the impact on student learning gains of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine in spring 2020. Although a majority of students reported moving to a fully online lecture and lab microbiology course in the spring 2020 semester, there was no statistically significant impact on student outcomes reported by the MHSCI, and by some measures, student learning gains increased in the semester students moved to online learning. Further research is necessary to determine the continuing impact of online lecture/lab courses on student outcomes on the MHSCI. Our analysis of data from spring 2020 shows that the MHSCI is still a statistically reliable measure of student misconceptions and overall difficulty scores for each item on the MHSCI was unchanged due to the pandemic. 

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2. The Impact of Learning Assistants on Inequities in Physics Student Outcomes

   https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2016.pr.085  

   Van Dusen, Ben; White, Jada-Simone S.; Roualdes, Edward A. (December 2016, Proc. 2016 Physics Education Research Conference)

   This study investigates how Learning Assistants (LAs) and related course features are associated with inequities in student learning in introductory university physics courses. 2,868 physics students’ paired pre- and post-test scores on concept inventories from 67 classes in 16 LA Alliance member institutions are examined in this investigation. The concept inventories included the Force Concept Inventory, Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation, and the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism. Our analyses include a multiple linear regression model that examines the impact of student (e.g. gender and race) and course level variables (e.g. presence of LAs and Concept Inventory used) on student learning outcomes (Cohen’s d effect size) across classroom contexts. The presence of LAs was found to either remove or invert the traditional learning gaps between students from dominant and non-dominant populations. Significant differences in student performance were also found across the concept inventories. 

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3. Work in Progress: The Electric Circuit Concepts Diagnostic (ECCD)

   Hunsu, N. (January 2022, Annual Proceeding of the American Society for Engineering Education)

   Students come to learning in engineering classrooms with misconceptions about the concepts covered in engineering course contents. However, instructional efforts often do not effectively address misconceptions in students’ prior knowledge. Concept inventories (CIs) are often relied upon to identify misconceptions in students’ prior knowledge. However, many instructors never benefit much from using CIs because they lack either the know-how, time commitment, or statistical skills required to use them efficiently and effectively. Furthermore, there sometimes are ambiguities about how to interpret students’ CI scores. The Electric Circuit Concepts Diagnostic (ECCD) project team will address these limitations of CIs by creating a web-based electric circuit concept inventory that: (i.) provides an immediate and multipurpose feedback system for reporting about students’ circuits and electricity prior knowledge; (ii.) differentiates, with a high probability, between a lack of prior knowledge and misconceptions; and (iii.) uses a scheme of multidimensional knowledge profiles to report on students’ prior knowledge and misconceptions. The project will integrate the affordances of cognitive diagnostic modeling (CDM), multitier testing frameworks, and computer-assisted testing to realize these project objectives. This work-in-progress report introduces the objectives of ECCD inventory to the ECE research and teaching community. 

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4. Learning Assistant Supported Student Outcomes (LASSO) study initial findings

   https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2015.pr.081  

   Van Dusen, Ben; Langdon, Laurie; Otero, Valerie K. (December 2015, Proc. 2015 Physics Education Research Conference)

   This study investigates how faculty, student, and course features are linked to student outcomes in Learning Assistant (LA) supported courses. Over 4,500 students and 17 instructors from 13 LA Alliance member institutions participated in the study. Each participating student completed an online concept inventory at the start (pre) and end (post) of their term. The physics concept inventories included Force and Motion Concept Evaluation (FMCE) and the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA). Concepts inventories from the fields of biology and chemistry were also included. Our analyses utilize hierarchical linear models that nest student level data (e.g. pre/post scores and gender) within course level data (e.g. discipline and course enrollment) to build models that examine student outcomes across institutions and disciplines. We report findings on the connections between students' outcomes and their gender, race, and time spent working with LAs as well as instructors' experiences with LAs. 

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5. Creation and validation of the Algebra Concept Inventory in the tertiary context.

   Wladis, C; Offenholley, K; Sencindiver, B; Myszkowski, N; Aly, G (July 2024, Proceedings of the 47th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education)

   Evans, T; Marmur, O; Hunter, J; Leach, G (Ed.)

   In college, taking algebra can prevent degree completion. One reason for this is that algebra courses in college tend to focus on procedures disconnected from meaning-making (e.g., Goldrick-Rab, 2007). It is critical to connect procedural fluency with conceptual understanding (Kilpatrick, et al., 2001). Several instruments test algebraic proficiency, however, none were designed to test a large body of algebraic conceptions and concepts. We address this gap by developing the Algebra Concept Inventory (ACI), to test college students’ conceptual understanding in algebra. A total of 402 items were developed and tested in eight waves from spring 2019 to fall 2022, administered to 18,234 students enrolled in non-arithmetic based mathematics classes at a large urban community college in the US. Data collection followed a common-item random groups equating design. Retrospective think-aloud interviews were conducted with 135 students to assess construct validity of the items. 2PL IRT models were run on all waves; 63.4% of items (253) have at least moderate, and roughly one-third have high or very high discrimination. In all waves, peak instrument values have excellent reliability ( R ≥ 0.9 ). Convergent validity was explored through the relationship between scores on the ACI and mathematics course level. Students in “mid”-level courses scored on average 0.35 SD higher than those in “low”-level courses; students in “high”-level courses scored on average 0.35 SD higher than those in “mid”-level courses, providing strong evidence of convergent validity. There was no consistent evidence of differential item functioning (DIF) related to examinee characteristics: race/ethnicity, gender, and English-language-learner status. Results suggest that algebraic conceptual understanding, conceptualized by the ACI, is measurable. The final ACI is likely to differentiate between students of various mathematical levels, without conflating characteristics such as race, gender, etc. 

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