Taxonomy of Assessment Items

(Credit: Michele Wisnudel Spitulnik, changes made for purposes of this project).

These categories are used to categorize assessment items on pre and post tests. Performance assessment rubrics are also categorized using this scheme. The SCALE Assessment sub-group intends to use this framework to coordinate design and/or implementation of assessment instruments (including performance assessments) and analyze student data. Click here for existing SCALE partner post test items categorized according to this taxonomy.

Level of Knowledge Integration	Type of Understanding & Categories	Examples of Questions
Specific	Content
	describing purpose (relating idea or problem to overarching theme or discipline)	Why are genetically modified foods something we should examine/investigate?
	explanations (explain phenomena, evidence and anomalous findings)	Explain this piece of evidence. Describe what ... means. What is water quality?
	relationships (cause and effect, correlational, new idea to big idea)	How are heat and temperature related? How are dissolved oxygen and temperature related?
	connections (new information to old ideas)	Make a connection between this web page and a new piece of evidence
	Inquiry
	use of symbol systems (constructs, interprets and uses symbol systems, uses appropriate symbol system for different situation)	What is the graph saying? How does the graph compare to the table?
	defining a problem	What are we investigating?
	constructing a method (gathering resources, making a plan)	How would you find a way to answer the driving question? What steps would you take?
	making justifiable predictions/hypotheses (based on prior knowledge or gathered evidence)	Based on your experience when do you think we will have our next earthquake? What types of fish do you think live in the Monterey Bay? Why?
	making observations (recording information in an organized, repeatable way, identifying observations that do not fit main pattern, deciding level of precision)	What data should be collected? Draw a data table. What data that was not collected be collected?
	analyzing data (identifying trends in data as well as outliers)	Look at the spread in the data. Why do we have so many different numbers? Why do you think there are some numbers (data points) well beyond the other numbers?
	constructing a model (coherent - clear cause and effect relationships, little inconsistency, parsimonious, tests and revises model, explaining limits and assumptions in model)	Build a model using the following factors - pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, macroinvertebrates, nitrates. Explain the cause and effect relationships between all the factors.
	constructing an argument (states a position and defends with evidence, gives attention to differing positions and contradictory evidence, describes additional evidence that could be gathered to build better case, show awareness of degree of uncertainty of findings)	State a position and defend it with evidence. Take the position that the global climate is changing and defend it with evidence. Describe the alternate position that global climate is not changing and site evidence to support this alternate view. For each argument brainstorm what counter arguments someone against your position might give.
	evaluating an argument (uses evidence)	A web page says that that the ozone layer is depleting because there has been an increase in CFC production - evaluate this argument.
	communicating findings (represents findings appropriately for audience, uses appropriate representations, represents the range of views)	How would you explain your results to your classmates? To a town council?
	Epistemic
	science as human construct (scientists use evidence to refine and generate new theories)	Where does scientific knowledge/information come fro?
	science as subject to revision and change (tentative nature)	Does scientific knowledge change? Why or How?
	purpose or role of evidence (interpretation of evidence leads to refining or refuting theories, building new ideas)	How was evidence used to support the Big Bang theory? How was evidence used to support the theory of evolution? How might evidence be used to contradict these theories?
	purpose of models and theories (to build explanations, representations based on evidence)	Why do scientists build models? How do scientists revise models?
	uses of models and theories by different groups of people	How might two groups like scientists and environmentalists use global climate change models differently? Why may scientists and stakeholders disagree?
	evaluation of models theories, evidence, limits and assumptions	What kind of evidence will be most convincing to your parents, classmates, a scientist?
	Metacognitive
	monitoring progress, setting goals, assessing one’s understanding	Predict how much you will learn in this course [predict grade, rank in class] Is it better to memorize or understand What is difficult about this project? How did you select this topic for specialization? What do you need to know to understand this web page Explain what is confusing about this page, this argument, this evidence? What do you need to know to learn this material
	assessing group’s effectiveness	self-reports on levels of (a) collaboration and (b) discussion between partners 2. self-reports on the approach a dyad was planning to take to address a complex problem.
Targeted	Relationships between at least 2 types of understandings	Interpretation Give examples of scientific explanations or models that have changed due to additional scientific evidence (c and e) Evaluating/Critiquing Question relating to a pivotal case. Explain how this case connects to the evidence you studied in the project. (c and i) Critique of claim, web site, or connection. Which of these connections makes the most sense? Explain. Rate these connections for accuracy, usefulness, or other criteria… Critique this claim, web site on the following criteria [fill in] (c and i or e) Devise criteria for evaluating this web site, claim, or connection. (c and e) Critique these criteria for evaluating a claim. (i and e) Building Connections Underline the connections in this paragraph. Underline a connection that helps you understand …… Explain why. (c and m) Which paragraph has the most coherent connections (c and m) Which connection does not contribute to the argument? (c and i) Connect this web page to something you have studied in this project, explain the connection (c and m) Build a concept map and explain connections between ideas (c ) Analyzing Controversies What is the fossil record controversy? (c and e)
Full	Relationships between three or four types of understanding	How should we respond to the threat of malaria? (c, i, e) Why are frog populations declining? (c, i, e)