Embracing Difficulty across the Disciplines through the Difficulty Paper
Conference Tracks
Assessment and SoTL - Research
Abstract
Many assessments encourage students to demonstrate what they understand, but educators may be missing an opportunity to identify learning bottlenecks in challenging content. The Difficulty Paper (DP), conceived by Salvatori & Donahue (2005), is a formative assessment that asks students to explore their difficulties with a challenging text/concept. This project explored students' challenges in a multidisciplinary "Great Works" course. Results indicate that the DP helped students to (1) model good reading strategies; (2) increase their comprehension; and (3) practice disciplinary habits-of-mind. This project argues the DP can be a powerful formative assessment across disciplines, including STEM fields.
Session Format
Presentation
1
Location
SCARBROUGH FIVE
Publication Type and Release Option
Event
Recommended Citation
Cisco, Jonathan, "Embracing Difficulty across the Disciplines through the Difficulty Paper" (2020). SoTL Commons Conference. 38.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2020/38
Embracing Difficulty across the Disciplines through the Difficulty Paper
SCARBROUGH FIVE
Many assessments encourage students to demonstrate what they understand, but educators may be missing an opportunity to identify learning bottlenecks in challenging content. The Difficulty Paper (DP), conceived by Salvatori & Donahue (2005), is a formative assessment that asks students to explore their difficulties with a challenging text/concept. This project explored students' challenges in a multidisciplinary "Great Works" course. Results indicate that the DP helped students to (1) model good reading strategies; (2) increase their comprehension; and (3) practice disciplinary habits-of-mind. This project argues the DP can be a powerful formative assessment across disciplines, including STEM fields.
