CURRENT PROJECTS
I'm involved in the Automated Analysis of Constructed Responses (AACR) research group. We explore the use of machine learning and computerized text analysis in science education. We use apply these techniques to evaluate students’ short written answers as part of assessments in secondary education and undergraduate STEM courses. We have created computer models that can predict expert ratings of student responses with accuracy similar to inter-rater reliability among expert raters. These techniques have potential for changing assessment practices across STEM disciplines, regardless of class size.
We use these technologies as part of research to gain insight into how students engage in scientific practices and think about “big ideas” in STEM, such as evolution, energy, and genetics.
