Active Assessment: Assessing Scientific Inquiry

The book is designed to provide a theoretical introduction to the field of active assessment, a practical guide to the development of assessment tools for scientific inquiry and a case study of a specific development and implementation process of assessment in a scientific inquiry program. As currently designed the book would have two sections: the first, theoretical and practical developing the concepts of how assessment is developed and implemented and the second section, a case study from research work conducted in the outreach program of the Bacteriophage Institute of Pittsburgh. The book is designed for a wide market of scientists involved in scientific education laboratory work. As with the original research project, this book breaks new ground in the area of scientific education and assessment and at this current time there is no book or research monograph that explicates a serious, comprehensive approach to the assessment of scientific inquiry. It is important to note that according to all the central bodies involved in science education (see the National Research Council's standards for science education) that the use of scientific inquiry is the preferred method of teaching science. Accordingly a book of this type should provide an important service for all active scientific inquiry programs in that it presents for the first time a concept and method for assessing scientific inquiry on the undergraduate and graduate levels. This book could provide an interesting answer to this situation of a required educational context without developed methodologies for evaluation.

Graham F. Hatfull is the Eberly Family Professor of Biotechnology Professor of Biology, and HHMI Professor and currently the Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh.