Exploring Undergraduates' Understanding of Photosynthesis Using Diagnostic Question Clusters

Autor/inn/en	Parker, Joyce M.; Anderson, Charles W.; Heidemann, Merle; Merrill, John; Merritt, Brett; Richmond, Gail; Urban-Lurain, Mark
Titel	Exploring Undergraduates' Understanding of Photosynthesis Using Diagnostic Question Clusters
Quelle	In: CBE - Life Sciences Education, 11 (2012) 1, S.47-57 (11 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1931-7913
DOI	10.1187/cbe.11-07-0054
Schlagwörter	Scientific Principles; Energy; Botany; Misconceptions; Undergraduate Students; Scientific Concepts; Questioning Techniques; Feedback (Response); Comparative Analysis; Thinking Skills; Data Analysis; College Science; Science Instruction + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Energie; Botanik; Missverständnis; Befragungstechnik; Fragetechnik; Denkfähigkeit; Auswertung; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht
Abstract	We present a diagnostic question cluster (DQC) that assesses undergraduates' thinking about photosynthesis. This assessment tool is not designed to identify individual misconceptions. Rather, it is focused on students' abilities to apply basic concepts about photosynthesis by reasoning with a coordinated set of practices based on a few scientific principles: conservation of matter, conservation of energy, and the hierarchical nature of biological systems. Data on students' responses to the cluster items and uses of some of the questions in multiple-choice, multiple-true/false, and essay formats are compared. A cross-over study indicates that the multiple-true/false format shows promise as a machine-gradable format that identifies students who have a mixture of accurate and inaccurate ideas. In addition, interviews with students about their choices on three multiple-choice questions reveal the fragility of students' understanding. Collectively, the data show that many undergraduates lack both a basic understanding of the role of photosynthesis in plant metabolism and the ability to reason with scientific principles when learning new content. Implications for instruction are discussed. (Contains 7 tables and 2 figures.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: http://www.ascb.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10