Review Project

• Find sections from the text that introduce a new concept and important parts from it. Write down a sentence such that it contains a conceptual synonym (i.e., an alternative word or phrase with the same meaning as the actual concept), before underlining this synonym,” and copying the concept just as it was in the text.

• Ex: Text says: “Magmas that are low in silica tend to be very fluid”

  • Your prompt: “Magmas that are low in silica tend (to be very fluid)”

You/they write: “Magmas that are low in silica tend to flow very easily like liquid (be very fluid).”

• Find an important section from the text where a new concept is being introduced or explained. 

• Re-write the section with an intentional mistake which you then cross out the and rewrite it correctly

• Ex: Text says “Bats are mammals that fly,” 

  • Your prompt: “Bats are birds that fly.”

  • You/they write; “Bats are birds (mammals) that fly.”

• Make sure the wrong responses you generate are conceptually believable, meaning that they are errors in understanding or interpretation, as opposed to spelling mistakes.

  • For instance, it is a more believable conceptual error to consider apples to be vegetables than animals.

• Come up with meaningful questions that will prompt the reader into thinking about the topics they are going to read about. Good questions will get the reader interested in the material, provide insight into the importance of the material as well as be address-able at the end of the reading (they should be able to ‘answer’ them). They can be open-ended and/or nuanced. Example: How strong is DNA evidence?

• A good pre-reading question serves as a though-provoking and engaging prompt that prepares readers for the upcoming text. They will help the reader analyze what details are important and how what they are reading relates to the overall learning objective. They can/should be open-ended and/or nuanced. For example: 

Pre-reading question rubric

• • Relevance and Connection:

    • 2 points: The question is directly related to the text or topic at hand, establishing a clear connection and demonstrating its relevance. It effectively prepares readers for the upcoming content.

    • 1 point: The question is somewhat related to the text or topic, but may lack a strong connection or fail to fully prepare readers for the content.

    • 0 points: The question is not relevant to the text or topic, and it does not establish a meaningful connection for readers.

  • Critical Thinking and Engagement:

    • 2 points: The question requires readers to engage in critical thinking, analysis, prediction, or evaluation. It stimulates intellectual curiosity, encourages multiple perspectives, and prompts readers to actively consider the content.

    • 1 point: The question prompts some level of critical thinking, but may be somewhat straightforward or lack depth in engaging readers' intellectual curiosity.

    • 0 points: The question does not stimulate critical thinking or engagement, and it may be too simplistic or lacking in thought-provoking elements.

  • Clarity and Conciseness:

    • 2 points: The question is clear, concise, and easily understood. It effectively communicates the main point and purpose, avoiding ambiguity or confusion.

    • 1 point: The question is somewhat clear, but may contain some degree of ambiguity or lack conciseness, making it slightly confusing or requiring additional clarification.

    • 0 points: The question is unclear or confusing, hindering readers' understanding or ability to respond effectively.

Create multiple choice questions based on your assigned topic. Try to have the questions focus on the main objective and the relevant details pertaining to it. It can be testing recall (ex: what term has this definition) or application skills (ex: what is the blood type based on the diagram?). Avoid questions about trivial information related to the topic but not directly related to the objective. For example, if the topic is blood spatter analysis and the objective is “classify examples of blood spatter into their appropriate types, explain what can be deduced from them, analyze blood spatter to determine the angle of impact and determine direction of the source, and how to properly collect and preserve blood spatter evidence”, a question about the structure of the heart, though related, is relatively trivial to the objective. Your question should have a minimum of 4 options, the answer to which you should bold.

Example:

In the wave-mechanical model of the atom, orbitals are regions of the most probable locations of

(a) protons

(b) positrons

(c) neutrons

(d) electrons

(e) gamma

MC Question Rubric

• Clarity and Simplicity:

  • 2 points: The question is clear, concise, and easy to understand.

  • 1 point: The question is somewhat clear, but may contain unnecessary complexity or ambiguous wording.

  • 0 points: The question is unclear or confusing.

• Relevance and Accuracy:

  • 2 points: The question tests key concepts and accurately reflects the course material.

  • 1 point: The question is somewhat relevant but may lack accuracy or miss important concepts.

  • 0 points: The question is irrelevant or inaccurate.

• Quality of Distractors:

  • 2 points: The distractors are plausible and relevant to the question, providing a good challenge for students.

  • 1 point: The distractors are somewhat relevant but may be too obvious or lack plausibility.

  • 0 points: The distractors are incorrect, unrelated, or too easily discernible from the correct answer.

Create a short response question where users must do more than recall definitions; they must apply their knowledge of forensic science. They should require some critical thinking and may have multiple possible answers. Create the short answer question and give a possible correct answer in bold after it

Example:

What is the difference between a chemical property and a physical property? Use examples to explain the differences.

Chemical properties, such as oxide formula, describe how a substance reacts with other substances. Generally, when that property is observed its when it becomes a new substance. Physical properties, such as density, can observed without changing the substance.

Short answer question Rubric

• Clarity and Focus:

  • 2 points: The question is clear, concise, and focuses on a specific aspect or concept.

  • 1 point: The question is somewhat clear but may contain unnecessary complexity or lack a clear focus.

  • 0 points: The question is unclear or confusing, making it difficult for students to understand what is being asked.

• Depth and Relevance:

  • 2 points: The question requires a thoughtful response that demonstrates a deep understanding of the topic. It is relevant to the learning objectives.

  • 1 point: The question is somewhat relevant and may require a moderate level of understanding, but lacks depth or fails to fully assess the topic.

  • 0 points: The question is irrelevant or shallow, not effectively assessing the desired knowledge or skills.

• Open-endedness and Creativity:

  • 2 points: The question allows for multiple possible answers, encourages critical thinking, and may require students to think creatively or apply knowledge in a unique way.

  • 1 point: The question has some level of open-endedness, but may be overly restrictive or limit the range of possible responses.

  • 0 points: The question is closed-ended, only has one correct answer, or lacks creativity and fails to engage students' higher-order thinking.

A good open-ended question encourages critical thinking, exploration and thoughtful responses requiring higher order thinking that necessitates detailed and well-supported responses. Provide a question and an example of a full-credit response in bold.

Example:

In your opinion, Which type of evidence is better to have? DNA evidence or blood spatter?

Both types of evidence have their strengths and limitations. In my opinion, I would say DNA has the better potential for being the better type of evidence. DNA is unique to an individual (with the exception of identical twins) and can be used to unambiguously determine the source of the DNA. Blood spatter analysis can be helpful, but it can often times be able to be interpreted multiple different ways. DNA sometimes can have some ambiguity, but in a different way. You will definitively know the source of the sample, but not necessarily how it got there, which can complicate things. 

*note: this question could be answered with the opposite perspective for full credit, as long as it was supported with evidence. 

Open Ended Question Rubric

• Depth and Critical Thinking:

  • 2 points: The question requires deep thinking, analysis, and evaluation. It prompts individuals to go beyond surface-level understanding and encourages higher-order thinking skills.

  • 1 point: The question prompts some level of critical thinking but may lack depth or fail to fully challenge individuals to analyze or evaluate the topic.

  • 0 points: The question is shallow, only requiring basic recall or lacking in opportunities for critical thinking.

• Openness and Creativity:

  • 2 points: The question allows for multiple perspectives, diverse interpretations, and creative responses. It encourages individuals to think outside the box and explore innovative ideas.

  • 1 point: The question has some level of openness and may allow for different viewpoints or interpretations, but limits creativity or originality to some extent.

  • 0 points: The question is closed-ended or restricts responses to a single correct answer, stifling creativity and limiting individual expression.

• Relevance and Real-World Application:

  • 2 points: The question relates to real-world contexts, challenges individuals to apply their knowledge and skills to practical situations, and explores the broader implications of the topic.

  • 1 point: The question has some relevance to real-world contexts but may lack a clear connection or fail to explore the practical applications or implications in depth.

  • 0 points: The question lacks relevance to real-world contexts or fails to prompt individuals to consider the practical applications or broader implications.