Using the Ecology and Evolution-Measuring Achievement and Progression in Science assessment to measure student thinking across the Four-Dimensional Ecology Education framework

Abstract

The newly developed Four-Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) framework, produced by the Ecological Society of America, provides updated guidance for undergraduate instruction. To help instructors align their courses to this framework and assess student progress toward its goals, we have recoded the comprehensive programmatic assessment Ecology and Evolution-Measuring Achievement and Progression in Science (EcoEvo-MAPS) and reanalyzed a national dataset of over 2000 undergraduate student responses. Here, we show how the EcoEvo-MAPS questions align to the 4DEE framework and provide student performance data across the dimensions and elements. We also include information from student interviews to help inspire educators to develop new lessons, additional assessment questions, and other course materials in these areas. Finally, we provide information on a new web-based portal that allows instructors to easily administer EcoEvo-MAPS to students and receive an automatically generated score report that aligns results to the 4DEE framework.