Assessing student understanding in the molecular life sciences using a concept inventory

Abstract

Concept inventories are rigorously validated web‐based instruments designed to evaluate the nature and quality of student understandings of key concepts. Such tests provide students and educators with vital feedback about learning and teaching. This poster describes the process used to develop and validate a concept inventory as a diagnostic tool for introductory university courses in the molecular life sciences and is being trialled in three countries. The project has involved the identification of big conceptual ideas unique to the molecular life sciences and captures, in a comprehensive and future‐oriented way, thinking by experts in the field. These were used to identify key concepts that underpin understanding of these ideas. The concepts include; dynamic equilibrium, macromolecular structure, energy transformations, information coding, catalysis and cellular compartmentalisation. Refined sets of questions have been developed for these concepts and tested for validity and reliability.Students' correct responses to individual items range from 20 ‐ 80%, highlighting specific areas of conceptual weakness. The results to date indicate that although many students entering molecular life science courses can recognise the concepts from enabling sciences, their ability to apply the concepts in new contexts is highly variable.