“I’m teaching, but they’re not learning!”
This is one of the most common laments from educators. Your students may perform well on your assessment instruments, yet say things in class which leave you wondering if they really understand the underlying concepts. Or perhaps you’re at the beginning of a unit and are unsure about what your students already know. Which concepts do they already grasp, and which will you have to address? If any of these doubts and questions sound familiar, then the MOSART project was designed to help you.
The acronym MOSART stands for:- Misconceptions-Oriented: The project recognizes that students do not come to your class as “blank slates” but rather have their own theories.
- Standards-based: The NRC NSES comprise a unifying thread among all MOSART items and tests.
- Assessement Resources for Teachers: The project provides educators with multiple-choice tests that can be used to assess their students’ understanding of this content.
The MOSART tests are available free to all educators; however, since their structure and use differs from many assessment instruments you may be familiar with, we require anyone seeking access to these instruments to complete a tutorial in their correct application. To start your tutorial and gain access to the tests, first create a new user account on the left (user accounts are free). Once you have created your account you can log in using the same email address and password. The site will keep track of your progress through the tutorial, and give you direct access to the tests once the tutorial is complete.
Complete Test Inventory:
- K-4 Physical Science
- K-4 Earth Science
- K-4 Astronomy/Space Science
- 5-8 Physical Science
- 5-8 Earth Science
- 5-8 Astronomy/Space Science
- 9-12 Physics
- 9-12 Earth Science
- 9-12 Astronomy/Space Science
- 9-12 Chemistry
In September 2008, we received funding from the NSF MSP program to develop items and tests linked to the NRC's K-4 and 5-8 life science content standards. This new assessment initiative, MOSART-Life Science (MOSART-LS), will develop, pilot and field-test items through Spring 2010. We will add K-4 and 5-8 life science tests to this site's inventory after all field testing is done. We will refine the release dates as work progresses, but at this time do not expect to release any test before July 2010. We are still seeking funds to develop items for the grades 9-12 life science standards and will inform you in this space when such funding is awarded.