Collaborative Activities for Professional Development

This chapter provides a set of practical, hands-on activities that can be used in professional development workshops or professional learning community (PLC) meetings to help biology educators improve their assessment practices. These activities are designed to be interactive and to encourage discussion, collaboration, and a deeper understanding of the principles of effective assessment.

Activity 1: The Question-Writing Workshop

Objective: To work collaboratively to create and refine a set of high-quality assessment questions for a specific topic.

Materials:

• Copies of the relevant chapter from the biology textbook.
• Copies of the CISCE syllabus for the relevant grade level.
• Copies of the Bloom's Taxonomy framework.
• Whiteboard or chart paper.

Procedure:

1. Form small groups: Divide the teachers into small groups of 3-4.
2. Assign a topic: Assign each group a specific topic from the biology syllabus (e.g., photosynthesis, the human circulatory system, Mendelian genetics).
3. Brainstorm questions: In their groups, have the teachers brainstorm a list of potential assessment questions for their assigned topic. Encourage them to think about a variety of question types and to target different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.
4. Write the questions: Have each group write a set of 5-7 questions for their topic. The questions should be clear, concise, and well-aligned with the learning objectives of the syllabus.
5. Share and discuss: Have each group share their questions with the rest of the participants. Encourage a discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of each question.
6. Refine the questions: Based on the feedback from the discussion, have each group refine their questions to make them even more effective.

Activity 2: The Peer Review Protocol

Objective: To use a structured protocol to provide constructive feedback on each other's question papers.

Materials:

• Copies of a question paper that has been created by one of the participants.
• Copies of the peer review protocol (see below).

Peer Review Protocol:

1. Clarity and Precision: Are the questions clear, concise, and unambiguous? Is the language appropriate for the grade level?
2. Alignment with Syllabus: Are the questions well-aligned with the learning objectives of the CISCE syllabus?
3. Coverage of Syllabus: Does the question paper provide a comprehensive coverage of the syllabus?
4. Balance of Question Types: Is there a good balance of different question types (e.g., MCQs, SAQs, LAQs, case-based)?
5. Alignment with Bloom's Taxonomy: Does the question paper assess a variety of cognitive skills, from lower-order thinking to higher-order thinking?
6. Fairness and Inclusivity: Is the question paper fair and accessible to all students, regardless of their learning styles or abilities?
7. Time Management: Is the time allocation for the question paper reasonable?

Procedure:

1. Distribute the question paper: Give each participant a copy of the question paper that is to be reviewed.
2. Individual review: Have each participant individually review the question paper using the peer review protocol.
3. Group discussion: In small groups, have the participants discuss their feedback on the question paper. Encourage them to provide specific and constructive feedback.
4. Share with the author: Have each group share their feedback with the author of the question paper.

Activity 3: The Case-Based Question Challenge

Objective: To work in teams to create a set of engaging and challenging case-based questions for a given scenario.

Materials:

• A set of real-world scenarios related to biology (e.g., a news article about a new disease outbreak, a case study of a patient with a genetic disorder, a report on the impact of climate change on a particular ecosystem).

Procedure:

1. Form teams: Divide the teachers into small teams of 3-4.
2. Choose a scenario: Have each team choose a scenario from the provided list.
3. Develop a case study: In their teams, have the teachers develop a detailed case study based on their chosen scenario.
4. Create questions: Have each team create a set of 3-5 case-based questions that require students to apply their knowledge of biology to the given scenario.
5. Present the case study: Have each team present their case study and questions to the rest of the participants.

Activity 4: The Bloom's Taxonomy Sorting Game

Objective: To develop a deeper understanding of the different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.

Materials:

• A set of cards with different assessment questions written on them.
• A set of six boxes, each labeled with one of the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, Creating).

Procedure:

1. Form groups: Divide the teachers into small groups of 3-4.
2. Distribute the cards: Give each group a set of question cards.
3. Sort the cards: In their groups, have the teachers sort the question cards into the appropriate boxes, based on the cognitive level that each question is targeting.
4. Discuss the results: Have each group share their results with the rest of the participants. Encourage a discussion on any disagreements or uncertainties.

Activity 5: The Assessment Makeover

Objective: To take an existing, traditional assessment and work together to "make it over" by incorporating more higher-order thinking questions and a variety of question types.

Materials:

• Copies of a traditional biology assessment (e.g., a chapter-end test from a textbook).

Procedure:

1. Form groups: Divide the teachers into small groups of 3-4.
2. Choose an assessment: Have each group choose a traditional assessment to work on.
3. Analyze the assessment: In their groups, have the teachers analyze the assessment and identify its strengths and weaknesses.
4. "Make over" the assessment: Have each group work together to "make over" the assessment by:
   • Adding more higher-order thinking questions: Encourage them to add questions that require students to analyze, evaluate, and create.
   • Incorporating a variety of question types: Encourage them to add a mix of MCQs, SAQs, LAQs, case-based questions, and diagram-based questions.
   • Aligning the assessment with the principles of NEP 2020: Encourage them to make the assessment more competency-based and learner-centric.
5. Share the results: Have each group share their "made over" assessment with the rest of the participants.