AAAS Introduces Online Science Test Construction Kit. (May 22, 2012)

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) describes its Project 2061 as "a long-term initiative... to help all Americans become literate in science, mathematics, and technology. To achieve that goal, Project 2061 conducts research and develops tools and services that educators, researchers, and policymakers can use to make critical and lasting improvements in the nation’s education system." One of its initiatives is its Science Assessment Website which is designed to assist middle and high school teachers to test their students’ knowledge of key scientific concepts.

There is a database of over 700 multiple-choice questions which can be incorporated into tests which any individual who is registered to have access to the site can develop on the site, and which can then be administered online to assess individuals (pupils) understanding of the subjects being taught and examined.

George DeBoer, the deputy director of Project 2061 who led the assessment project says. “Getting reliable and timely information about what students know or don’t know means that teachers can adjust their instruction to respond quickly to their students’ needs.”

As an example of the value of the Science Assessment site Josh Flory, an 8th-grade science teacher at New Albany Middle School in Ohio, told Science he has used the feature to design pre- and post-tests for his students in biology, geology, and the physical sciences. The immediate feedback from the online test, he said, “has been a very powerful tool for students, and gives them a chance to see where they’re starting from and where they can grow.”

Below is the listing of main topics currently covered by the Science Assessment Website. Once registered it takes only a few minutes to work out how to develop multiple choice questions based on the topics and subtopics provided by the website.

So, for example, when browsing the topic "Models" the following page comes up:

And when clicking on a tab, such as "misconceptions", various quiz questions are presented which can be incorporated into the quiz.