Abstract
A diagnostic test for assessing the general and Earth science knowledge of entry-level college students was administered to 451 students in 2002 and 401 students in 2003 enrolled in an introductory geology course at Iowa State University. The study shows that male students, seniors, and science-technology-math majors score higher than female students, freshmen, and non-science-technology-math majors and that the differences are statistically significant. Also, students who scored higher on the diagnostic test were more likely to pass the course. The results support the feasibility of a standardized diagnostic test as a tool for geoscience instructors for curriculum planning, student advising, and curriculum assessment, similar to standardized diagnostic testing and pre-post testing used in chemistry and physics courses. Standardized national tests would enhance college geoscience education.
Highlights
2003 enrolled in an introductory geology course at Iowa State University
For introductory geoscience instructors for curriculum planning, student advising, and curriculum assessment, similar to standardized diagnostic testing and pre-post testing college physics and chemistry courses, diagnostic tests have been developed in the last 10 years, and they are beginning to be used as statewide examinations
The ever-increasing number of manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Geoscience Education (JGE) for publication unequivocally signifies this change (Drummond, 2003)
Summary
With a logistic regression analysis (Legg et al, 2001), so the CCDT can be used to predict student success and to. These tests allow instructors to assess student knowledge to conduct pre-post testing of curriculum effectiveness, to compare local results to the national level, and to compare against the national science standards. Institute initiated the Earth Science Curriculum Project in the 1960's, which attempted to establish standardized tests for high school students. These tests, are no longer used, and there is no national exam on Earth science knowledge. For most Iowa high school graduates, if they test for an introductory geology course for the purposes rank above the 49th percentile in their graduating class of (1) measuring incoming student knowledge of and have completed the required courses, they are geology and science from high school or previous science automatically admitted to ISU.
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