Evaluation Tools and Instruments Most evaluations require the use of a data collection tool—a survey or other data collection instrument. Evaluators either need to adopt or adapt tools “off the shelf” or create new ones. Either method can pose challenges: Tools that have been developed for one evaluation may not prove suitable for another, at least not without careful modification. At the same time, creating new tools requires expertise in measurement and instrument design. How do you know if an off-the-shelf instrument is appropriate for your needs? Good question! What is the instrument measuring? We’ve gathered a collection of tools and instruments that can be used for evaluating outcomes of informal STEM education projects or that can serve as starting points for modification. Research and Evaluation Instruments on InformalScience.org: This section of InformalScience.org allows users to search a collection of evaluation reports, articles, and other resources that include evaluation instruments and tools.
APA Style: Learning APA Style The Basics of APA Style: Tutorial Free | This free tutorial is designed for those who have no previous knowledge of APA Style. It shows users how to structure and format their work, recommends ways to reduce bias in language, identifies how to avoid charges of plagiarism, shows how to cite references in text, and provides selected reference examples. Basics of APA Style: In-Depth Online Course $80 ($60 for APA members) | Learn to apply the basic rules of APA Style in writing term papers, research reports, and journal articles. What’s New in the Sixth Edition: Tutorial Free | This 14-minute tutorial provides an overview of key changes in the sixth edition of the Publication Manual, beginning with three overarching goals that guided the revision and ending with a detailed chapter-by-chapter list of new and expanded content.
How to Structure An Essay: Avoiding Six Weaknesses In Papers - TIP Sheet - Butte College TIP SheetHOW TO STRUCTURE AN ESSAY: AVOIDING SIX MAJOR WEAKNESSES IN PAPERS Writing a paper is a lot like painting your house: the bulk of the work is in the preparation–scraping, sanding, cleaning, applying primer. If you fail in the prep work, the finished product will be less than excellent. It is a common mistake for students to want to start editing their papers before they have substantially revised them. Identifying six major weaknessesSix major weaknesses can doom your paper to mediocrity or worse: A too-broad thesis statementA poorly formulated thesisInadequate or unfocused topic sentencesWriting off-subjectFailing to anticipate objectionsAn inadequate conclusion The checklist below can help you discover whether your paper suffers from any of these errors. If any of these statements are not true, read ahead to find explanations and suggestions that may help. 1. In American schools, there are many kinds of acceptable dress codes and classroom behaviors. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Rewriting or Revising | Online Writing Center | SUNY Empire State College The writing process is never done--it is only finished when you need to hand something in or voluntarily discontinue working. If you were to pick up a piece of writing that you completed two years ago, you undoubtedly would see ways that you could improve it. Two years later, you could do the same thing. What exactly is revision? It is easier here to start with what revision is not. So, you are asking yourself, what is revision? The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that you distance yourself from your work. Revision is a very difficult concept to teach to people. How do writers revise? Revision, as I already stated, is a complex process which must take place at a number of different levels. Ok, now that I know what to do, how do I do it? Now that you have an indication of what you can do to revise something, you need to think about where to look at your paper. Your paper revision should move in much the same way, although the steps are somewhat shorter.
Building the Essay Draft | Online Writing Center | SUNY Empire State College Tip: After you have completed the body of your paper, you can decide what you want to say in your introduction and in your conclusion. Explanation Once you know what you want to talk about and you have written your thesis statement, you are ready to build the body of your essay. The thesis statement will usually be followed by: the body of the paperthe paragraphs that develop the thesis by explaining your ideas by backing them up examples or evidence Tip: The "examples or evidence" stage is the most important part of the paper, because you are giving your reader a clear idea of what you think and why you think it. Development Options For each reason you have to support your thesis, remember to state your point clearly and explain it. Tip: Read your thesis sentence over and ask yourself what questions a reader might ask about it. Compare and contrast: Show how one thing is similar to another, and then how the two are different, emphasizing the side that seems more important to you. 2. 3.
What Is a Scholarly Source? | Synonym College professors often require students to write papers using scholarly sources. These sources are academic writings by educators and researchers who specialize in specific subject areas. The writers pepper the documents with specialized language and include graphs or charts to illustrate their findings. Scholarly sources are geared toward specialized audiences. Types of Scholarly Sources Other than professional and academic journals, scholarly sources include primary sources (statistical data and lab reports), secondary sources (literary reviews, analysis of literary, visual or performing arts and informed commentary) and tertiary sources (textbooks and reference works, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias). Peer-Reviewed Sources Peer-reviewed sources lend authority to college-level research papers by providing credible information to back up a student writer's arguments. Examples of Scholarly Journals Authority, Structure, Content and Timeliness About the Author
What is a Scholarly Source? When I use the term "scholarly source", I mean a source that is peer reviewed or published in a recognized scholarly source, like a journal or a university publisher. How do you tell the difference between a scholarly source and other sources? Well, the library has a chart that might help, at least in telling the difference between scholarly journals and popular magazines. Here are a few other tips: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The key in looking for a scholarly source is to identify the mechanisms used to ensure that the article is of a high standard. Are internet sources scholarly? Now, what about sources from the internet? Sometimes you will find papers on the web that are not published. Now, how about articles in zines? How about reference works like Wikipedia or Encyclopedia Britannica? You should be quite suspicious of other works on the web. Many students are tempted to do all their work with web-based sources. Here are some other resources on scholarly sources:
Bloomin' Apps This page gathers all of the Bloomin' Apps projects in one place.Each image has clickable hotspots and includes suggestions for iPad, Android, Google and online tools and applications to support each of the levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy.I have created a page to allow you to share your favorite online tool, iOS, or Android app with others. Cogs of the Cognitive Processes I began to think about the triangular shape of Bloom's Taxonomy and realized I thought of it a bit differently.Since the cognitive processes are meant to be used when necessary, and any learner goes in and out of the each level as they acquire new content and turn it into knowledge, I created a different type of image that showcased my thoughts about Bloom's more meaningfully.Here is my visual which showcases the interlocking nature of the cognitive processes or, simply, the "Cogs of the Cognitive Processes". IPAD APPS TO SUPPORT BLOOM'S REVISED TAXONOMYassembled by Kathy Schrock Bloom's and SAMR: My thoughts
6 of The Best Web Tools for Organizing and Managing Citations, References and Bibliographies April 1, 2015 One of the onerous parts in essay and academic writing is the bibliography section. Managing, organizing and citing references can sometimes be a real challenge especially if you don't keep track of what and who you cite. The last thing you would want after a strenuous writing task is a messy bibliography with one reference missing page numbers the other needs publication date or, worse of all, having to go back to your sources to check for the source of that quotation you included in your conclusion. 1- Zotero "Zotero collects all your research in a single, searchable interface. RefWorks -- an online research management, writing and collaboration tool -- is designed to help researchers easily gather, manage, store and share all types of information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies.3- Mendeley EndNote gives you the tools you need for searching, organizing and sharing your research. 5- EasyBib
Negative Words to Avoid in Writing In academic and business writing, it is important to accentuate the positive. Here are some tips on avoiding negative words. Words to Avoid If you want a positive response to your memo or report, then do not use negative words. Some negative words to avoid in writing are: cannot, damage, do not, error, fail, impossible, little value, loss, mistake, not, problem, refuse, stop, unable to, and unfortunately Here are some examples of what not to say: These reports are of little value and are causing problems in the office.Don’t use an A-12 form when reporting absences.The project cannot be completed because some people are not doing their jobs. Words to Include Your purpose in writing needs to be on the solution, not the problem. Positive words to use include: benefit, it is best to, issue, matter, progress, success, unfortunate, and valuable Here are the positive ways to write the formerly negative examples: Thank you for discussing the letters. Other Ways to Write Effectively Use action words like:
The Adverb Is Not Your Friend: Stephen King on Simplicity of Style “Employ a simple and straightforward style,” Mark Twain instructed in the 18th of his 18 famous literary admonitions. And what greater enemy of simplicity and straightforwardness than the adverb? Or so argues Stephen King in On Writing: A Memoir on the Craft (public library), one of 9 essential books to help you write better. While he may have used a handful of well-placed adverbs in his excellent recent case for gun control, King embarks upon a forceful crusade against this malignant part of speech: The adverb is not your friend.Adverbs … are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. King uses the admonition against adverbs as a springboard for a wider lens on good and bad writing, exploring the interplay of fear, timidity, and affectation: I’m convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing. This latter part, touching on the contrast between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, illustrates the critical difference between working for prestige and working for purpose.
The Universal Recipe, Or How To Get Your Manuscript Accepted By Persnickety Editors | Style for Students Online “The Universal Recipe, Or How To Get Your Manuscript Accepted By Persnickety Editors” is a detailed look at how the best writers put together and publish their scientific reports in journals. The beauty of this piece is its universality and comprehensiveness; by definition, the advice in this article crosses disciplinary lines. From the sharp mind of a seasoned editor, this article gives us an inside track on just what editors are looking for when they select scientific articles for publication. This article is the best I have seen at what it does, and is made more enjoyable by the editor’s wit, examples, and exactitude. From the entertaining title of the original article to the gracious closing acknowledgments, we see again that editors are people too (some, I suspect, even ride mountain bikes and keep pets). This article is reprinted with the kind permission of the author, Frederick A. Overview 1. The key to writing an acceptable scientific paper is organization. Title Authorship close
The Science of Scientific Writing | Style for Students Online "The Science of Scientific Writing" is a thoroughly detailed and important article about scientific writing from the journal American Scientist. You will find practical advice on how (literally) to put sentences together and walk along with the authors as they methodically generate seven practical maxims for good science writing. In the article, the authors, George D. Gopen and Judith A. To open the article "The Science of Scientific Writing" within this page, click here. "The Science of Scientific Writing," by George D. This article, downloaded from Style for Students Online, originally appeared in American Scientist, journal of Sigma Xi, copyright © 1990 by Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. Science is often hard to read. The fundamental purpose of scientific discourse is not the mere presentation of information and thought, but rather its actual communication. Writing with the Reader in Mind: Expectation and Context Readers do not simply read; they interpret. The Topic Position