JoinShort Course 2
National Conference in Atlanta • March 22-25, 2023
An Introduction to Designing Three-Dimensional Assessment Tasks to Support NGSS Instruction
Preconference • Wednesday, March 22 • 8:15 - 11:15 AM
Facilitators: Christopher Harris and Joseph Krajcik
$75
Conference registration is required to attend.
About the Session
What is an approach that science educators can use to create assessment tasks that support instructional practice and students’ three-dimensional learning?
Assessment tasks for NGSS classrooms are different from the typical tasks that require students to just recall what they know. With three-dimensional tasks, the expectation is that students will use and apply the three dimensions of science proficiency together to make sense of compelling phenomena and solve complex problems. This course is designed to introduce participants to the Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) design approach that can be used to design three-dimensional assessment tasks for classroom use with an emphasis on assessment for teaching and learning. A good assessment task should provide actionable information of value to teachers and students. Importantly, it should provide insight into how students are building toward an NGSS performance expectation or bundle of performance expectations.
Participants will learn the NGSA approach for designing 3-dimensional tasks for classroom use that will help their students build toward the NGSS performance expectations. This course is ideal for those who want to learn a systematic process for how to create tasks that can be used over again across classes and years. Each step of the process provides an opportunity for learning that will increase your knowledge for three-dimensional instruction and assessment. While we will focus on middle grades, the approach is applicable for K-12 science instruction.
Follow-up Professional Learning Opportunities Included with Short Course Registration
Participants will also be able to pre-order our assessment book: Creating and Using Instructionally Supportive Assessments in NGSS Classrooms.
Christopher Harris
Christopher Harris serves as Senior Director of Science and Engineering Education Research at WestEd. His work focuses on the design, implementation, and study of instructional innovations that support science teaching and learning in PK–12 classrooms. At WestEd, he has been involved in developing scalable approaches to address the NGSS through curricula, assessments, and professional learning models that support teachers in creating engaging, interactive, equitable, and accessible learning experiences for students. His research often involves collaborative work with districts and schools for the purpose of informing both research and practice. Current collaborations involve developing instructionally supportive assessments for NGSS classrooms and on evaluating curriculum materials aligned with the NGSS. His publications have addressed science curriculum and assessment, design-based implementation research, science teaching practice, educational innovation, and the role of project-based learning in STEM education.
Joseph Krajcik
Joseph Krajcik directs the CREATE for STEM Institute and is a University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University. Throughout his career, Joe has focused on working with colleagues and science teachers to design and test project-based learning environments to reform science teaching practices and to research student learning and engagement. Joe served as president of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), from which he received the Distinguished Contributions to Science Education Through Research Award in 2010. He served as the lead writer for developing Physical Science Standards for the NGSS and for the Physical Science Disciplinary Core Ideas for the Framework for K – 12 Science Education. In 2020, Joe was elected to the National Academy of Education and received the prestigious McGraw Prize for Innovation in Pre-K-12 Education. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and his book on Project-based Learning is in its fifth edition.