AN INQUIRY ORIENTED LABORATORY EXAMINATION

Having discussed the dearth of testing of actual performance in real situations, a variety of arguments are raised to support the need for assessment in the Practical mode, and the development and nature of an inquiry oriented laboratory examination is described. One test problem is presented in detail including materials, instructions to examinees, instructions for administration and scoring as well as sample answers. Data regarding validity and reliability are provided together with findings pertaining to the relationship between the various skills assessed by the examination. Moderation procedures for determining the individual scores in an examination in which different students perform different test problems are suggested. The author contends that the type of examination described reflects the inquiry objectives of the BSCS philosophy and provides a valid and reliable measure of problem solving ability in a practical laboratory setting.