- EXPLANATION ANALYSIS
Description Design and AdministrationGeneral
Implementation
AttributesExplanation Analysis
encourages self and peer
assessment of students’
ability to both construct and
analyze a well-crafted
scientific explanation.
Teachers and students
constructively critique
scientific explanations for
accuracy and inclusion of
the key components that
distinguish scientific
explanations from other
types of explanations: the
claim, appropriate and
sufficient evidence, and
reasoning that links the
evidence to the claim using
a scientific principle (Krajcik
et al., 2006). While the
original work of Krajcik et
all. (2006) focused on
explanations using data
from investigations, this
FACT is also used with
explanations from
assessment probes and
other types of assessment
questions.
Guide students through the
Explanation Analysis process the
first time it is used by having
students generate an explanation
as part of an existing activity,
experiment, or assessment probe.
Provide students with the
assessment criteria listed in Figure
4.9 or generate your own to
analyze the explanations. First
have students self-assess their own
explanation using the criteria and
then revise it and submit it for
feedback from the teacher. Once
students become familiar with the
FACT, they can work in groups to
help each other analyze and revise
their explanations, providing and
receiving feedback in the process.
Teachers can select a sampling of
student explanations to use as part
of a whole-class discussion focused
on critiquing explanations and
providing constructive feedback.Ease of Use: Medium
Cognitive Demand:
Medium/High
Time Demand: Medium