research overview
- Dr. Knight's research has focused on developing concept assessments for student learning in biology, studying the impact of in-class work on student learning, and developing and measuring the impact of curricular changes and teacher training on both students and faculty. She and colleagues have developed three concept assessments: the Genetics Concept Assessment (GCA) the Introductory Molecular Biology Assessment (IMCA), and the Molecular Biology Capstone Assessment, all designed to diagnose student misunderstandings and measure learning gains in typical undergraduate biology courses, as well as an attitudes towards biology assessment (Bio-CLASS), and a taxonomy for measuring Scientific Teaching. More recently, her work has focused on understanding how students engage in complex problem solving and scientific reasoning, particularly in genetics, and how to help students develop metacognitive and self-regulatory practices to improve their learning experiences. She is also working to develop an online OER for instructors to learn how to teach using 'Scientific Teaching' principles.
