CARTOONS—AN ALTERNATIVE LEARNING ASSESSMENT

• Published in: Science scope (Washington, D.C.) Vol. 31; no. 5; pp. 16 - 21
• Main Authors: Song, Youngjin, Heo, Misook, Krumenaker, Larry, Tippins, Deborah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon National Science Teachers Association 01-01-2008; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Alternative Assessment; Animated cartoons; Caricatures and cartoons; Cartooning; Cartoons; Comic books; Educational aspects; Educational evaluation; Educational reform; Evaluation Methods; Legal objections; Mathematics education; Methods; Middle Schools; Motion; Newtons laws of motion; Physics; Science education; Science Instruction; Science learning; Science Teachers; Scientific Concepts; Student Evaluation; Teachers; United States
• ISSN: 0887-2376; 1943-4901
• DOI: 10.2505/3/ss08_031_05

In order to fully understand student learning, we science teachers need to know the ideas that students bring into the classroom. Plus, good assessment calls for ongoing evaluation of students' progress and difficulties with learning on an everyday basis. Cartoons are one tool that has been used successfully as a means of assessing student learning in science (Perales-Palacios and Vilchez-Gonzalez 2005). The alternative assessment strategies presented here use cartoons to help science teachers assess students' ideas, old and new, and difficulties they experience as they learn force and motion concepts. (Contains 4 figures and 5 online resources.)