Michael Zeilik, The National Institute for Science Education; College Level One Team
This page describes conceptual diagnostic tests, one of a series of Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) provided by the Field-tested Learning Assessment Guide (FLAG) website. The CATs of FLAG were constructed as a resource for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructors to emphasize deeper levels of learning and to give instructors valuable feedback during a course. Conceptual diagnostic tests are used to assess how well students understand key concepts in a STEM field prior to, during, and after instruction. They assess student understanding using a multiple-choice or short-answer format that has been designed to address misconceptions. This site provides an overview of this assessment instrument including information about why conceptual diagnostic tests are beneficial to use and how to use them. The site is also linked to a set of discipline-specific "tools" that can be downloaded for immediate use, as well as supplementary links and sources to further explore this assessment tool.