The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences presents professor William F. McComas. His lecture, "Don't Guess, Know When (and How) to Assess" will be at 3:05 p.m. Friday, April 27, in the Chemistry Building, room 144.

McComas's lecture will discuss many of the myths, modes, and rationales of assessment. Using chemistry instruction as the example, we will discuss limitations inherent in typical assessment and discuss implications and recommendations for broadening assessment horizons by exploring deficiencies in current plans while considering new methods for evaluating and reporting success with a variety of approaches including portfolios and authentic measures.         

About: Professor McComas is the director of the Project to Advance Science Education and the University Professoriate Program, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a co-author of The Scopes Monkey Trial. In addition, he serves as editor of several publications, including The American Biology Teacher, The Language of Science Education, as well as The Nature of Science in Science Education: Rationales and Strategies, which will soon be published by Springer in a new edition. He has mentored many doctoral students, 15 of whom are now professors of science education. In January, he was awarded the 2018 Outstanding Science Teacher Educator Mentor of the Year award from the Association for Science Teacher Education, which honors ASTE members who support and encourage pre-service and in-service science teachers and new science teacher-educators entering the profession and recognizes valuable contributions of mentors to the profession of science teacher education. Earlier in his career he was a biology and physical science teacher in suburban Philadelphia and a professorship at University of Southern California. He earned B.S. degrees in biology and secondary education, M.A. degrees in biology and physical science and the Ph.D. in science education from the University of Iowa.