Evaluating Scientific Information-3 Strategies for your Consideration

I recently came across Three Steps to Making Assessment Simpler and More Relevant published by Kent Lui in the Science Teacher NSTA journal.  Lui mentions that evaluating information is an important science practice in STEM education and states that in a society where there are concerns over fake news and fringe theories, teaching students how to evaluate information effectively is extremely important. He further asserts that evaluating information requires that students analyze information presented to them, determine its validity and accuracy and then generate a response to it.

The author shares three strategies to add relevance to science assessments: 

  1. Give students an opinion, model, or hypothesis to evaluate,

  2. Tell students the four prompts that make up an excellent response,

  3. Have students practice.

#1: Give students an opinion, model, or hypothesis to evaluate

Lui quizzes students on Endothermic vs. Exothermic reactions. The students are presented with a graph with four energy diagrams (see below),  followed by an opinion from a student. 

The student’s opinion is that graph A is the energy diagram for the combustion of dynamite. Students are then asked, “Do you agree with the student’s opinion? Provide a scientific reason as to why or why not?”

This gives students background knowledge to draw from (dynamite explodes and gives off heat), something tangible to evaluate (a student’s opinion as it relates to a diagram) and a structure to their response (Do you agree? Why or why not?).  Altogether, this makes evaluating information a more manageable for students. 

#2:  Tell students the four prompts that make up an excellent response

Lui explains that some students have difficulties understanding the makeup of a good response and offers four prompts for students to follow when providing answers:

  1. I see
  2. I know
  3. Therefore
  4. However

Having all or some of these prompts in students’ answers makes it easier for them to understand the expectations.  It further allows for teachers to concentrate on the content.

#3:  Have students practice.

Self-explanatory!

Ken Lui shares his work and expertise at realsciencechallenge.com

Happy Teaching!