Physics 30 Diploma Exams Now Employ Virtual Labs; Student-Based Performance Standards Provide Additional Guidance for Designing Lab Experiences

Example Set-up of a Virtual Physics 30 Lab for Use in a Diploma Exam Item

Physics 30 Diploma Exams Now Employ Virtual Labs:  Will the other Sciences Follow Suit?
Physics 30 is a particularly challenging course to write items for because lab skills, as applied to virtual labs, are now evaluated on the diploma exam itself.  These are extremely difficult items to construct.  I plan to add similar sorts of items to virtual labs, unite exams, and assignments over the next few months.  Most interesting of all, the Physics 30 Information Bulletin seems to imply that these items fully address the “design-an-experiment skill mandated in the program of studies outcome B3.1:  Students will design an experiment to demonstrate the effect of a uniform magnetic field on a current-carrying conductor.”  Click here to see an example Physics 30 diploma exam item that asks questions regarding the outcomes and design of a virtual lab. 

I wonder if Biology 30 and Chemistry 30 will eventually employ virtual labs on the diploma exams?  With the extensive availability of powerful technology, there is a lot of research into interactive, high-fidelity item types.  The Quest A+ technology has some real potential to deliver these innovative item types.  For example, perhaps students could perform a virtual titration lab experiment worth three or four marks.

Student-Based Performance Standards Provide Additional Guidance for Designing Lab Experiences
Alberta Education’s Student-Based Performance Standards documents provide some guidance to the development of lab experiences for students.  For example, the Biology 30 Assessment Standards document (starting on p.15) suggests that Standard of Excellence performance on general outcome D2 is identified when students “design an experiment or a simulation to demonstrate interspecific and intraspecific competition.”  The Chemistry 30 Performance Standards document suggests that SE performance on general outcome C1 is indicated when students are able to complete this lab task: “When given evidence of reaction with aqueous bromine or potassium permanganate, identify saturated and unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon derivatives.”  I suppose we could develop some sort of blueprint for labs, but that might be excessive planning.  Nevertheless, it is helpful to know which lab activities are designated Standard of Excellence or Acceptable Standard so that we can achieve a reasonable balance between them on labs, assignments and exams.

Regards,
Michael Gaschnitz
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