58 - California State University, Northridge



ELPS 710A – Final Exam (Objective portion)

Dr. Herr

(1) The following represents one of the five standards for administrators suggested by The International Society for Technology in Education (2008). (National Educational Technology Standards  and Performance Indicators for Administrators).  “Educational Administrators create, promote, and sustain a dynamic, digital-age learning culture that provides a rigorous, relevant, and engaging education for all students.”  Which of the following goals does not appear to fit with the others (i.e. is not a responsibility of administrators)

(a) ensure instructional innovation focused on continuous improvement of digital-age learning


(b) provide learner-centered environments equipped with technology and learning resources to meet the individual, diverse needs of all learners


(c)  ensure effective practice in the study of technology and its infusion across the curriculum


(d) promote and participate in local, national, and global learning communities that stimulate innovation, creativity, and digital-age collaboration

(e) evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

(2) Consider the following standards:

• Students know the central dogma of molecular biology outlines the flow of information from transcription of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the nucleus to translation of proteins on ribosomes in the cytoplasm.

• Students know the role of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus in the secretion of proteins.

• Students know usable energy is captured from sunlight by chloroplasts and is stored through the synthesis of sugar from carbon dioxide.

These standards were most likely acquired from:

(a) National Science Education Standards (NSES)

(b) Scope Sequence & Coordination (SS&C) Integrated Science Standards

(c) California Science Content Standards

(d) California Biology Framework

(e) California English Language Development Standards

(3) The 5-E Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) is one of the most widely accepted models for inquiry learning.  Which of the following sequences matches with this model?

(1) Students analyze data they have collected, and formulate explanations. Possible activities include: comparing, classifying, and analyzing data; building explanations, and supporting ideas with evidence.

(2) Provide students the opportunity to plan, collect, and organize data. Possible activities include: designing and performing an investigation, solving a problem, and reading to collect further information.

(3) Provide activities that access prior knowledge,  capture student interest and stimulate student thinking.  Possible activities include: counterintuitive demonstrations, intriguing movie clips, current events, and hypothetical questions.

(4)Students expand their understanding by applying it to real world situations. Possible activities include: giving examples of how the principles apply to other phenomenon, and making decisions based upon new understandings.

(5) Students evaluate their understanding. 

(a) 1-2-3-4-5

(b) 3-2-1-4-5

(c) 3-2-1-5-4

(d) 4-3-2-1-5

(e) 3-5-4-2-1

(4) Academic language represents the language demands of school (academics). Academic language includes language used in textbooks, in classrooms, on tests, and in each discipline.  It is different in vocabulary and structure from the everyday spoken English of social interactions. Which of the following is useful in teaching academic language?

(a) Identify the text and then analyze the genre, academic structure, and academic vocabulary. For example, a lab report for chemistry requires different academic structure and vocabulary than a newspaper article for social studies or a food recipe for home economics. 

(b) Provide explicit instruction/deconstruction/analysis with students concerning the text; provide multiple models if necessary. Teaching students to deconstruct a word problem in algebra requires different academic language from deconstructing a proof in geometry, a poem in English, or a musical symphony. Teach them to use textual evidence to support their ideas in speaking and writing.

(c) Use explicit, scaffolded instruction: give clear instructions, both auditory and visual, and provide models of expected or possible outcomes.

(d) Bring academic language to the surface: teach students the term academic language, explain why it is important, and provide systematic instruction and examples.

(e) all of the above.

(5) Academic language is the language used in instruction, textbooks and exams. Which of the following is NOT accurate with respect to academic language?

(a) Academic English is based more upon Latin and Greek roots than is common spoken English. 

(b) Academic language features more complex language and precise syntax than common English. 

(c) Low academic language skills are associated with low performance in school. 

(d) Academic language differs little in structure and vocabulary from language used in daily social interactions.

(e)  Academic language includes a common vocabulary used in all disciplines, as well as a  technical vocabulary inherent to each individual discipline.

(6) The National Science Education Standards (NSES) are guidelines for K-12 science education in United States schools. They were established by the National Research Council in 1996 to provide a set of goals for teachers to set for their students and for administrators to provide professional development. The NSES have significantly influenced various states' own science learning standards and state-wide standardized testing. Which of the following recommendations is not consistent with the NSES?

(a) More emphasis on integrating all aspects of science content

(b) Increased emphasis on a wide range of science topics for each science course

(c) More emphasis on understanding scientific concepts and developing abilities of inquiry

(d) More emphasis on learning science in the context of its technological applications 

(e) Increased emphasis on using evidence for explanations

(7) Which of the following statements concerning online secondary education is NOT true?

(a) Private online high schools are not controlled by the government.  However, many private online high school programs are  regionally accredited and offer students one-on-one access to counselors, teachers, and tutors. 

(b) Many states are creating public online high schools. These schools are free to minor students in the state; many also lend students curriculum and computers at no cost. 

(c) Online charter schools are funded by the government; however, they are run independently and are subject to less government oversight. An online charter school may target a certain demographic (dropouts or honors students, for example) or focus on a particular subject (such as technology or the arts). 

(d) A growing number of universities are embracing the online high school movement. The University of California College Prep Online (UCCP), and Stanford University's Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) are examples

(e) Students can attend classes online, but can not complete their high school diploma or GED.

(8) The National Science Teachers Association’s (NSTA) Scope, Sequence, and Coordination Report (SS&C) recommended that all secondary students study every science, every year for six years, in courses integrating physics, chemistry, biology, and earth and space science. Which of the following statements is NOT true concerning SS&C and/or integrated science?

(a) SS&C’s recommendation was based in part on an international model, and called for an integrated approach to science that was radically different from the traditional “layer-cake” curriculum in which each science was taught in separate, yearlong, courses.  

(b) In the years following the SS&C report, numerous schools instituted “integrated science” curricula with the expectation that students would learn concepts across curricular lines in a coordinated program, starting with descriptive and phenomenological aspects of science, and moving through empirical and quantitative treatments to the abstract and theoretical concepts.  

(c) Unfortunately, very few curricular resources were developed to support integrated science, and few teachers were prepared to teach across curricular lines.  

(d) The introduction of state standards, with yearly assessments based upon the traditional “layer-cake” sequence, contributed to the demise of integrated science in many parts of the country.

(e) Integrated science was mandated by the US Department of Education following the "Nation at Risk Report".

(9) In October 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth.   The fear that the United States had become technologically inferior to its Cold War foe awakened a nationwide interest in science and technology education. Which of the following was NOT a direct result of the Sputnik Crisis or related Cold War concerns?

(a) The National Defense Education Act, which provided federal aid for secondary science instruction, and funded college students to pursue degrees in science and engineering.  

(b) Increased emphasis on inquiry learning in science and mathematics 

(c) Curriculum development projects, including inquiry based programs such as BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study), Chem Study (Chemical Education Materials Study), PSSC Physics (Physical Science Study Committee), and ESCP (Earth Science Curriculum Project).  

(d) Project 2061, Science for All Americans,  which defined a “scientifically literate person is one who understands key concepts and principles of science, [and] uses scientific knowledge and reasoning for individual and social purposes.” 

(e) New Math was introduced, with an emphasis on abstract concepts like set theory and bases other than ten. 

(10) Opportunities to engage in problem-based learning during the first year of medical school lead to a greater ability to diagnose and understand medical problems than do opportunities to learn in typical lecture-based medical courses (Hmelo, 1995). Attempts to make schooling more relevant to the subsequent workplace have also guided the use of case-based learning in business schools, law schools, and schools that teach educational leadership.  Problem-based learning has also proven effective in secondary schools.  Which of the following is  NOT consistent with the problem-based learning model?

(a)  Students are assigned to teams and provided an ill - defined problem. 

(b) Teams must organize themselves, define objectives, assign responsibilities, conduct research, analyze results, and present conclusions. 

(c) Problem- based learning employs open-ended questions that are not limited to a single correct answer.

(d) Problem - based learning is focused only upon the fields of study as defined by the course curriculum

(e) Problem-based learning is a form of inquiry-based learning. 

(11) Because learning involves transfer from previous experiences, one’s existing knowledge can also make it difficult to learn new information.  This is particularly problematic when one has developed strong misconceptions that must be unlearned. Which of the following is(are) represent misconceptions in mathematics that must be unlearned? 

(a) multiplication always results in a larger number

(b) to multiply by 10 just add zero

(c) the tallest container always has the greatest volume

(d) in fractions the largest denominator is the largest fraction

(e) all of the above

(12) U.S. Department of Education researcher Clifford Adelman examined more than 20 variables--including high school courses, educational aspirations, race, socioeconomic status (SES), on-time versus late high school graduation, and parenthood prior to age 22--to determine what was the best predictor of the college completion rates of over 10,000 students.  Which of the following findings do you think was inconsistent with his findings?

(a) Of all the high school indicators of academic preparation, the one that is the strongest is taking rigorous and intense courses in high school.

(b) Taking rigorous and intense high school courses has a greater impact on African-American and Latino students than on white students.

(c) Of all the high school courses, the highest level of mathematics taken is the most important for college success. The odds that a student who enters college will complete a bachelor's degree more than doubles if that student completed a mathematics course beyond Algebra II (e.g., trigonometry or pre-calculus) while in high school.

(d) Performance in introductory algebra shows minimal correlation with ultimate achievement in college

(e) 80% of students who take calculus in high school eventually earn a bachelor's degree or higher, while only 62% of those who stop after trigonometry do.

(13) Research has shown that use of a suite of representations of a concept enables learners to think more flexibly about it, and that students who learn in such environments are better able to transfer concepts to new areas. In light of these findings, which of the following teaching strategies appears best suited to improve transfer?

(a) Show the same diagram of the brain on an overhead transparency, in a PowerPoint slide show, on the bulletin board, and on the test.

(b) Show how the inverse square law, based upon the geometry of a sphere, is embedded in equations of gravity, electrostatic force, sound intensity, light intensity, and magnetic field strength.

(c) Engage students in guided practice that parallels the lecture

(d) Teach entirely by inquiry

(e) none of the above

(14) Students with a flexible representation of knowledge are better able to engage in meaningful transfer. Which of the following strategies is(are) used to increase flexibility and promote transfer?

(a) ask learners to solve a specific case and then provide them with an additional, similar case

(b) let students learn in a specific context and then help them engage in “what-if” problem solving 

(c) Develop lessons in which students engage in computer-based simulations (such as gizmos on ExploreLearning)  in which they can alter variables to see how they influence outcomes

(d) generalize the case so that learners are asked to create a solution that applies not simply to a single problem, but to a whole class of related problems.

(e) All of the above

(15) Intrinsic motivation comes from rewards inherent to a task or activity itself - the enjoyment of a puzzle or the love of playing basketball, for example. One is said to be intrinsically motivated when engaging in an activity "with no apparent reward except for the activity itself"... Research has found that it is usually associated with high educational achievement and enjoyment by students. "  Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of students with strong intrinsic motivation?

(a) are interested in the applicability of concepts to other fields 

(b) believe they can be effective agents in reaching desired goals 

(c) are more interested in mastering a topic than just achieving good grades.

(d) realize that luck plays a significant role in the determination of one's grade

(e) attribute their educational achievements to factors within their control

(16) The following statements were made by a physics teacher.  What pedagogical strategies does the teacher appear to be using?

• Cognates are words in different languages that have the same linguistic roots. Most English physics terms have cognates in other languages. For example, the English word thermodynamics has the following cognates: termodinámica (Spanish), thermodinamique (French), Thermodynamik (German), and termodinamica (Italian).

• Pitchers put a spin on baseballs to cause them to curve. The air carried along by the stitching on the side of a spinning baseball travels faster relative to the surrounding air than does the air on the other side where the surface motion is opposite the movement of the ball. According to Bernoulli ’ s principle, faster - moving fluids experience lower pressure, causing the baseball to veer to the side where the surface motion is in the same direction as the ball ’ s forward movement.

• The large electron positron collider in Switzerland is a circular tube 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in.) in diameter and 27 km (17 mi) in circumference and has been used to study the smallest particles of matter by accelerating electrons and positrons that collided with each other. The establishment of such an expensive research facility was accomplished only because of political and economic support from 20 European countries. Such political and economic cooperation was also necessary to establish the International Space Station (ISS), a joint project of NASA (United States), the Russian Federal Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration agency, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Brazilian Space Agency.

(a) Reflection on one's thought processes to enhance metacognition

(b) Development of a community centered learning environment to promote student engagement

(c) Emphasis on basic principles to promote expert learning

(d) Integration of science, technology, and society (STS) to promote transfer

(e) Use of visuals to promote visual / spatial intelligence

(17) Which of the following best describes how expert problem solvers differ from novice problem solvers? 

(a) Experts identify the major principles that are applicable to a problem before solving for a numerical answer 

(b) Experts list the equations they would use and how those equations can be manipulated.

(c) Experts  perceive problem solving in physics as memorizing, recalling, and manipulating equations 

(d) Experts immediately plug numbers into formulas

(e) None of the above. 

(18) The superior recall ability of expert learners is partially explained in terms of how they “chunk” various elements of a configuration that are related by an underlying function or strategy. Since there are limits on the amount of information that people can hold in short-term memory, short-term memory is enhanced when people are able to chunk information into familiar patterns.  Which of the following is a metacognitive strategy that can be taught to help students "chunk" new vocabulary?

(a) Analysis for known prefixes, suffixes and roots.

(b) Use of word-searches and crossword puzzles

(c) Vocabulary flash cards

(d) Rote memorization

(e) All of the above

(19) Bransford et.al. says that research indicates that professional development programs for teachers,  frequently:

(a) Are not learner centered. Rather than ask teachers where they need help, they are simply expected to attend prearranged workshops.

(b) Are not knowledge centered. Teachers may simply be introduced to a new technique (like cooperative learning) without being given the opportunity to understand why, when, where, and how it might be valuable to them. Especially important is the need to integrate the structure of activities with the content of the curriculum that is taught.

(c) Are not assessment centered. In order for teachers to change their practices, they need opportunities to try things out in their classrooms and then receive feedback. Most professional development opportunities do not provide such feedback. Moreover, they tend to focus on change in teaching practice as the goal, but they neglect to develop in teachers the capacity to judge successful transfer of the technique to the classroom or its effects on student achievement.

(d) Are not community centered. Many professional development opportunities are conducted in isolation. Opportunities for continued contact and support as teachers incorporate new ideas into their teaching are limited, yet the rapid spread of Internet access provides a ready means of maintaining such contact if appropriately designed tools and services are available.

(e) all of the above

(20) Intelligence is a property of the mind that includes many related abilities such as the capacities to reason, plan, solve problems, comprehend language and ideas, learn new concepts, and think abstractly. Historically, psychometricians have measured intelligence with a single score (IQ) on a standardized test, finding that such scores are predictive of later intellectual achievement.  Howard Gardner and others assert that there are multiple intelligences, and that no single score can accurately reflect a person’s intelligence.  More importantly, the theory of multiple intelligences implies that people learn better through certain modalities than others, and that the science teacher should design curriculum to address as many modalities as possible.  Gardner identifies seven intelligences.  Which of the following "intelligences" is mismatched with its characteristics?

(a) Logical /Mathematical Intelligence - thinking conceptually, computing, looking for patterns, classifying

(b) Linguistic/Language Intelligence - learning by listening, verbalizing, reading, translating, and discussing

(c) Naturalist Intelligence - questioning, observing, investigating, experimenting

(d) Visual / Spatial Intelligence - learning with models, photographs, videos, diagrams, maps , and charts

(e) Bodily kinesthetic intelligence - learning through cooperative learning experiences, group games, group lab work, and dialog

(21) In 1986, Lee Shulman  introduced the phrase pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and sparked a wave of scholarly articles on teachers' knowledge of their subject matter and the importance of this knowledge for successful teaching. Which of the following  describes PCK?

(1) To develop PCK, teachers need to master content, also known as "deep" knowledge of the subject itself, and knowledge of the curricular development. 

(2) The key to distinguishing the knowledge base of teaching lies at the intersection of content and pedagogy in the teacher’s capacity to transform content knowledge  into forms that are pedagogically powerful and yet adaptive to the variety of student abilities and backgrounds. 

(3) PCK exists at the intersection of content and pedagogy. It refers to an amalgam of content and pedagogy. PCK includes understanding of ways of representing and formulating the subject that make it comprehensible to others

(4) PCK represents the blending of content and pedagogy into an understanding of how particular aspects of subject matter are organized, adapted, and represented for instruction. 

(5) PCK includes the most regularly taught topics in one’s subject area, the most useful forms of representation of those ideas, the most powerful analogies, illustrations, examples, explanations, and demonstrations. 

(a) 1,2,3

(b) 1,2,3,5

(c) 2,3,4

(d) 1,4,5

(e) 1,2,3,4,5

(22) Many educational leaders are calling for an increased emphasis upon formative assessments. Which of the following does NOT describe the purpose or nature formative assessments?

(a) Formative assessments should include a self-reflective process designed to promote student attainment.

(b) Formative assessments are bidirectional processes (between teachers and students) designed to recognize and respond to student learning

(c)  Formative assessments provide data that should be used to adapt the teaching to meet the learner's needs

(d) The primary purpose of formative assessments is to accurately assess student performance and allocate grades.

(e) Formative assessments are considered a part of instruction and the instructional sequence

(23) Critical thinkers draw conclusions only after they have defined their terms, distinguished fact from opinion,  asked relevant questions,  made detailed observations,  and uncovered assumptions.  Critical thinkers make assertions based on solid evidence and sound logic. Which of the following topics would be the most appropriate for in-service training on the basics of critical thinking?

(a) acrostics, acronyms, memory games

(b) literary criticism, textural criticism, advance organizers, mind maps, outlining

(c) defining criteria, assessing arguments, analyzing data, weighing evidence

(d) inductive reasoning, mnemonics, anagrams

(e) none of the above are related to the development of critical thinking skills

(24) Expert learners are more efficient than novices  at organizing new information around principles that support understanding.   Which of the following illustrates this principle most clearly.

(a) Expert learners memorize GPS coordinates of important features and can easily identify them on a map if give a coordinate grid (latitude and longitude)

(b) Expert learners develop photographic memories that enable them to picture maps without the need for features like rivers, mountains, and other natural boundaries.

(c) Expert learners display the same uncertainty as novices when trying to identify cities and boundaries on a map that only includes natural features

(d) Expert learners memorize the positions of political boundaries and cities by simple acrostics

(e) Expert learners understand that political borders often developed because natural features (like mountains or water bodies) separated people, and that large cities often arose in locations that allowed for trade (along rivers, large lakes, and at coastal

(25) Many educators use advance organizers to introduce students to new material. An advance organizer  is information presented prior to the main lesson that the learner uses to organize and interpret new information. David Ausubel, a prominent educational researcher in the 1960s, believed that the most important determinant of learning is what a learner already knows.  He encouraged teachers to introduce new concepts by connecting them to prior knowledge and the new material. Advance organizers can be helpful in the development of such connections by providing an outline in which learners can place new material in context with existing information and see how it will relate to future learning.  Which of the following is/are an example of the use of advance organizers to help students develop schemas for learning new information?

(a) Showing the  classic "Powers of Ten" video to introduce the range of human knowledge of the physical universe, from the quark to the boundaries of the universe, when beginning a new class on earth and space science.

(b) Using KWL Charts, SQ3R Charts, concept maps, and mind maps to introduce a new topic in history

(c) Reviewing the levels of organization in biology (from the sub cellular to the biosphere) prior to the introduction of new topics

(d) Providing an outline of the major topics in a calculus chapter (chain rule, product rule, quotient rule, etc.) prior to introducing new methods for solving differential equations.

(e) All of the above are examples of advance organizers that may help learners structure their schemas (conceptual patterns in their thinking)

(26) When asked what causes seasons, graduating Harvard seniors informed the film crew of "Private Universe" that eccentricity in Earth's orbit made Earth warmer when it was closest to the sun. They also said that the phases of the moon were caused by Earth's shadow. The same misconceptions were common among ninth graders in a nearby school. When given an opportunity to test these ideas and see them proven wrong, the students would often let go of them and accept the new ideas they were being taught, but would often try to blend the old and new ideas or revert to the old ideas entirely.  The "Private Universe" movie shows that

(a) The major obstacle in science education is the complexity of the issues taught

(b) Adults and secondary school students struggle with abstract reasoning and that topics involving relative motion should be taught kinesthetically

(c) Pre-existing ideas about the way  things work can interfere with learning.  Teachers should identify and address these preconceptions to avoid confusion.

(d) Science education must be taught solely by methods of inquiry

(e) Kinesthetic learners master ideas in astronomy more easily than visual or auditory learners.

(27) The term ‘scaffolding’ was developed as a metaphor to describe the type of assistance offered by a teacher or peer to support learning. In the process of scaffolding, the teacher helps the student master a task or concept that the student is initially unable to grasp independently. Which of the following is not a goal or process of "scaffolding"?

(a) The teacher only helps the student with tasks that are just beyond his current capability. 

(b) With teacher feedback and prompting, the student is able to achieve the task or goal. 

(c) When the student takes responsibility for, or masters the task, the teacher begins the process of “fading”, or the gradual removal of the scaffolding, which allows the student to work independently. 

(d)  Scaffolding is a bridge used to build upon what students already know to arrive at something they do not know. 

(e) The teacher offers assistance with all skills, regardless of the student’s capability. 

(28) John Flavel argues that learning is maximized when students learn to think about their thinking and consciously employ strategies to maximize their reasoning and problem solving capabilities. Which of the following statements is NOT representative of Flavel's concept of metacognition and expert learning?

(a) A metacognitive thinker knows when and how he learns best, and employs strategies to overcome barriers to learning. 

(b) As students learn to regulate and monitor their thought processes and understanding, they learn to adapt to new learning challenges.

(c)  Expert problem solvers first seek to develop an understanding of problems by thinking in terms of core concepts and major principles. 

(d)  Expert problem solvers are more likely to approach problems by trying to find the right formulas into which they can insert the right numbers. 

(e)  The ability to appropriately allocate cognitive resources, such as deciding how and when a given task should be accomplished, is central to what most consider "intelligence".

(29) The following questions were administered by a teacher as part of a larger survey.  What appears to be the teachers intent?

Remember a time when you learned how to do something new. Try to avoid choosing a physical skill, e.g. riding a bike. You learned best by:

• watching a demonstration.

• written instructions – e.g. a manual or textbook.

• listening to somebody explaining it and asking questions.

• diagrams and charts - visual clues.

I like websites that have:

• things I can click on, shift or try.

• interesting written descriptions, lists and explanations.

• interesting design and visual features.

• audio channels where I can hear music, radio programs or interviews.

You want to learn a new program, skill or game on a computer. You would:

• talk with people who know about the program.

• read the written instructions that came with the program.

• use the controls or keyboard.

• follow the diagrams in the book that came with it.

(a) The teacher is conducting a first-day of school questionnaire to get to know his/her students

(b) The teacher is trying to collect information on how to best teach a computer science course

(c) The teacher is performing a VARK test to determine the primary modalities and combinations of modalities through which his or her students learn best.

(d) The teacher is conducting a Myers-Briggs an psychometric test to measure psychological preferences in how students perceive the world and make decisions.

(e)  The teacher is trying to differentiate between visual and aural learners

(30) Which of the following is NOT true of Constructivism?

(a) Constructivism is a specific pedagogy and suggests that teachers should never tell students anything directly but, instead, should always allow them to construct knowledge for themselves

(b) Constructivism is a theory which argues that students generate knowledge and meaning from their experiences. Constructivists assume that all knowledge is constructed from previous knowledge, irrespective of how one is taught 

(c) Constructivist educators believe that it is important to pay attention to the  incomplete understandings and the naive renditions of concepts that learners bring with them to a given subject. 

(d) Constructivists argue  that the responsibility of learning should reside increasingly with the learner

(e) Constructivists view learning as an active process where learners should learn to discover principles, concepts and facts for themselves

(31) Cognitive scientists study expert learners in an effort to better understand the learning process.  Which of the following is NOT characteristic of expert learning?

(a) Expert learners organize new information around key concepts

(b) Expert learners do not conditionalize their learning 

(c) Expert learners specify the context in which new principles and information is applicable

(d) Expert learners look for patterns and trends in data 

(e) Expert learners transfer ideas to and from other contexts to make sense of new material learned.

(32) Cognitive science studies learning from a multidisciplinary perspective.  Which of the following is least represented in cognitive science?

(a) linguistics

(b) developmental psychology

(c) sociology

(c) computer science

(d) neuroscience

(33) Which of the following is characteristic of learning-oriented students?

(a) A primary characteristic of learning-oriented students is that they want to look good

(b) They don't want to risk mistakes while learning

(c) They think and/or behave as if intelligence is malleable

(d) They are more likely to bail out when the tasks become difficult than performance-oriented students

(e) None of the above

(34) Which of the following is NOT true about "chunking:

(a) "Chunking" refers to a strategy for making more efficient use of short-term memory by recoding information. 

(b) The term “chunk” is used to indicate long-term memory structures that can be used as units of perception and meaning, and “chunking” as the learning mechanisms leading to the acquisition of these chunks.

(c) Chunks in motor learning are identified by pauses between successive actions.

(d) It should be possible to effectively increase short-term memory for low-information-content items by mentally recoding them into a smaller number of high-information-content items.

(e)  All of the above are true

(35) Consider this paragraph from a science text “Chemistry is the study of matter, and chemists study the properties and uses of matter. Chemists often develop new substances that have practical significance to society, yet they rarely get media attention for their discoveries or developments. Many of these products have life - saving potential, such as sodium azide, which powers automobile air bags; epinephrine, which prevents anaphylactic shock in those allergic to bee stings; and tempered glass, which eliminates the threat of glass cuts in automobile accidents. Many chemical products are less glamorous yet support our way of life. For example, chemists have been involved in the development and study of virtually everything in your classroom. The paint on the wall, the linoleum or concrete on the floor, the gas in the fluorescent lights, the ink in your pens, and the dyes in your clothing are but a few of the many things in your room that were developed by chemists.”  Which of the following does teaching strategies does this reflect?

(a) S/T/S (Science / Technology / Society)

(b) community centered approach

(c) assessment centered approach

(d) "layer-cake" approach

(e) metacognitive instruction

(36) Which of the following technologies is best suited  to promote collaboration between teachers as they work on developing curriculum, or between students as they work on class projects?

(a) Wiki

(b) Kindle

(c) Doodle

(d) Elluminate

(e) Picasa

 

(37) Consider these following quotes from students:

When I look at a math problem, my mind goes completely blank. I feel stupid, and I can’t remember how to do even the simplest things."
"I've hated math ever since I was nine years old, when my father grounded me for a week because I couldn’t learn my multiplication tables." 
"In math there’s always one right answer, and if you can’t find it you've failed. That makes me crazy." 
"Math exams terrify me. My palms get sweaty, I breathe too fast, and often I can't even make my eyes focus on the paper. It’s worse if I look around, because I’d see everybody else working, and know that I’m the only one who can’t do it.” I’ve never been successful in any math class I've ever taken. I never understand what the teacher is saying, so my mind just wanders."

These statements reflect math anxiety and mathphobia.  Which of the following is NOT true with respect to this phenomenon?

(a) In our society it is commonly accepted that math is difficult, obscure, and of interest only to “certain people,” i.e., nerds and geeks – not a flattering 

(b) In the United States, the study of math carries with it a stigma, and people who are talented at math or profess enjoyment of it are often treated as though they are not quite normal. 

(c) In Russian or German culture, mathematics is viewed as an unessential part of literacy, and an educated person would not be chagrined to confess ignorance of basic mathematics.

(d) For nearly seventy years, teaching methods have relied on a behaviorist model of learning, a paradigm which emphasizes learning-by-rote; that is, memorization and repetition. In mathematics, this meant that a particular type of problem was presented, together with a technique of solution, and these were practiced until sufficiently mastered. The student was then hustled along to the next type of problem, with its technique of solution, and so on. The ideas and concepts which lay behind these techniques were treated as a sideshow, or most often omitted altogether.

(e) A common misconception is that aptitude for mathematics is inborn.

(38) Which of the following technologies provides the opportunity to collaborate on the development of documents, spreadsheets, forms, and presentations?

(a) Doodle

(b) Kindle

(c) Google Docs

(d) Elluminate

(e) Picasa

 

(39) Which of the following is NOT true of Science Curriculum in California?

(a) The spiral curriculum (or tycoil curriculum) is promoted as allowing students to revisit a subject matter's content at the different levels of development of the subject matter being studied.

(b) The focus of  Integrated Coordinated Science course is student learning through scientific inquiry structured to address the California Content Standards for Earth Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology and will provide building blocks for lifelong learning as well as hands-on laboratory experiences.

(c) The University of California and CSU A-G requirements for science are: D. Laboratory Science - 2 years Required (3+ recommended):  Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Integrated Coordinated Science 2 & 3, AP Chemistry, AP Biology

(d) The popularity of Integrated Coordinated Science is expanding in California High Schools

(e) All of the above are true. 

(40) Which of the following does NOT reflect the meaning of "metacognition"?

(a) knowledge about when and where to use particular strategies for learning or for problem solving

(b) knowing about knowing

(c) thinking about thinking

(d) one’s knowledge concerning one’s own cognitive processes or anything related to them

(e) passive control over the process of thinking and reasoning

(41) Which of the following does NOT reflect metacognitive reasoning?

(a) What do I already know about this topic? What do I need to figure out?

(b) What units (dimensions) must the answer have?  What conversion factors do I need to derive these units?

(c) Let me draw a flow chart before I start to write the code for this program.

(d) The most likely answer will be "E" because there have been no other "E's" so far.

(e) What are the knowns?  What are the unknowns?  What equations are necessary?

(42) “Math Wars” is the debate over modern mathematics education, textbooks and curricula in the United States that was triggered by the publication in 1989 of the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and subsequent development and widespread adoption of a new generation of mathematics curricula inspired by these standards after the 1990s. One aspect of the debate in Math Wars is over how explicitly children must be taught skills based on formulas or algorithms (fixed, step-by-step procedures for solving math problems) versus a more inquiry-based approach in which students are exposed to real-world problems that help them develop fluency in number sense, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. In this latter approach, computational skills and correct answers are not the primary goals of instruction.  Which of the following is NOT true?

(a) Research shows that students who learn in "reform" classrooms consistently out-perform their peers who learn similar computational tasks in "traditional" settings. 

(b) Reform mathematics curricula challenge students to make sense of new mathematical ideas through explorations and projects, often in real contexts. 

(c) Reform texts emphasize written and verbal communication, working in cooperative groups, making connections between concepts, and connections between representations. 

(d) "Traditional" textbooks emphasize procedural mathematics and provide step-by-step examples with skill exercises.

(e) Traditional mathematics focuses on teaching algorithms that will lead to the correct answer

(43) Constructivism assumes that knowledge is constructed by learners as they try to make sense of their experiences. Learners interpret new information and connect this information to structures established from prior experience. Acquisition of knowledge requires the learner to construct new relationships among existing structures. The process of building new relationships is foundational to problem solving, learning, reasoning, and critical thinking. Which of the following is associated with constructivist thinking?

(a) emphasis on devising rather than just performing hands-on experiments

(b) emphasis on direct instruction, particularly lecture

(c) whole language approach to learning reading

(d) a,b,c

(e) a, c

(44) When studying the role of animation and simulation in learning geological processes, a researcher found that "Visualizations are most effective if their organization reflects the mental organization that the student is creating. For example, if students create a series of still images in their mind to represent a geologic process, a series of still images will be most effective in conveying information. Similarly, if students create a mental movie, an animation may be more effective." This researcher would most likely identify themself as:

(a) a cognitive scientist

(b) developmental psychologist

(c) educational philosopher

(d) computer scientist

(e) neurobiologist with an interest in education

(45) Which of the following is INCORRECT regarding "transfer of learning"?

(a) In our highly complex, rapidly changing Information Age, the ability to transfer or generalize from the familiar to the less familiar, from the old to the new, is a necessity for our adaptation to the technological demands of the 21st century. 

(b) If the transfer situation is so different that the use of learning encounters some barrier or difficulty, we speak of "problem solving"

(c) When the new situation is greatly different than the original learning, we speak of creativity. 

(d) Transfer of learning is most easily seen in situations identical to those in which the original learning occurred.

(e) When someone is called a Renaissance Man/Woman today, it is meant that he/she does not just have broad interests or a superficial knowledge of several fields, but rather that his/her knowledge is profound, and often that he/she also has proficiency or accomplishments in at least some of these fields, and has demonstrated unusual mastery in the transfer of learning. 

(46) One of the major goals of education is to help students develop transfer skills so they can apply what they have learned in the classroom to situations in the "real world".  "Which of the following is an INCORRECT statement regarding transfer? 

(a) "Transfer of learning" occurs when skills and knowledge learned in one context are applied in another context

(b) Instructional designers need to determine whether the skills being taught require near transfer or far transfer so that they can design instruction accordingly.

(c) "To develop "far transfer" skills, instructional designers need to design instruction where learners are trained to adapt guidelines to changing situations or environments.  

(d) The following is an example of "far transfer": A student who has learned the principles of wind flow to design a windmill transfers that knowledge to explain how to direct a sailboat.

(e) The following is an example of "near transfer": A student who learns how to solve simultaneous equations to find the intersection of a parabola and straight line explains how to pass a football pass so it can be caught by the wide receiver.

(47) Approximately 85% of  college students  in Lockhead's 1985 study were unable to solve problems that required the application of ninth-grade algebraic principles, even though they could manipulate the symbols and meet standard behavioral objectives for algebra.   Which of the following best describe(s) this situation?

(a) Their knowledge of algebraic principles was inert

(b) These students were exhibiting negative transfer

(c) Students exhibited misconceptions and preconceptions as a result of negative transfer

(d) Most students had not learned to transfer algebraic concepts to novel situations

(e) both a and d

 

(48) Which of the following is NOT an example of transfer of learning.

(a) What is learned in one context enhances learning in a different setting

(b) Knowledge of French may help a student learn Spanish. 

(c) Abstracting situations from a learning context to a potential transfer context

(d) Misconceptions often arise from positive transfer

(e) The primary reason for teaching most topics in the classroom is to enable students to use what they learn in settings beyond the school

(49) University of California A-G Requirements differ with California HS graduate requirements in all of the following ways except:

(a) UC requires more foreign language

(b) UC requires more physical education

(c) UC requires laboratory requirement for science while HS graduation does not require a laboratory component

(d) UC requires 4 years of English while California High schools require only 3 years

(e) UC requires 1 year of a college preparatory elective while none is required for HS graduation.

(50) Which of the following does  NOT appear to be consistent  with the findings of the TIMMS Study?

(a) In comparison to the TIMSS scale average, U.S. eighth-graders attending public schools with fewer than 50 percent of students eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program scored higher in science, on average.  On the other hand, U.S. eighth-graders in public schools with 75 percent or more of students eligible scored lower in science, on average, than the TIMSS scale average.

(b)   Ultimately, US students are not in the top tier of student achievement internationally in math.  However, they seem to be well established in the second tier.


(c) In 2007, higher percentages of U.S. 4th grades performed at or above in math each of the TIMSS International benchmarks than the international medians of the percentages performing at each level.

(d) American student scores in science and math improve from 4th to 8th grade. 

(e) International assessments such as TIMSS can help educational leaders  improve policies and practices by learning and collaborating with educational partners from around the world.

(51) New Math was a brief, dramatic change in the way mathematics was taught in American grade schools, and to a lesser extent in European countries, during the 1960s. The name is commonly given to a set of teaching practices introduced in the U.S. shortly after the Sputnik crisis in order to boost scientific education and mathematical skill in the population so that the intellectual threat of Soviet engineers, reputedly highly skilled mathematicians, could be met. New Math emphasized mathematical structure through abstract concepts like set theory and number bases other than 10. Beginning in the early 1960s the new educational doctrine was installed, not only in the USA, but all over the developed world. Other topics introduced in the New Math include modulo arithmetic, algebraic inequalities, matrices, symbolic logic, Boolean algebra and abstract algebra. Most of these topics (except algebraic inequalities) have been greatly de-emphasized or eliminated since the 1960s.  New Math was short lived.  Which of the following was NOT a reason for the demise of New Math?

(a) Parents and teachers who opposed the New Math in the U.S. complained that the new curriculum was too far outside of students' ordinary experience and was not worth taking time away from more traditional topics, such as arithmetic.

(b) The material also put new demands on teachers, many of whom were required to teach material they did not fully understand.

(c) Parents were concerned that they did not understand what their children were learning and could not help them with their studies.

(d) The New Math Program did not have a theoretical basis.

(e) Books such as Morris Kline's "Why Johnny Can't Add: the Failure of the New Math" influenced public opinion against New Math

(52) Which of the following describes the effect of Sputnik on education in the 1960s

(a) Sputnik was a “focusing event” that put a spotlight on education. Congress responded a year later with the National Defense Education Act, which increased funding for education at all levels, including low-interest student loans to college students, with the focus on scientific and technical education.

(b) Though Sputnik was a relatively simple satellite compared with the more complex machines to follow, its beeping signal from space galvanized the United States to enact reforms in science and engineering education so that the nation could regain technological ground it appeared to have lost to its Soviet rival.

(c) Sputnik’s radio signal highlighted not only the fact that the Soviet Union had beaten the United States into space, it also made it clear the Soviets possessed rocket technology strong enough to launch nuclear bombs at the United States.  The United State government decided to provide extra incentives to improve science, mathematics and engineering education to bolster national defense.

(d) a & b

(e) a, b, c

(53) Which of the following is NOT part of the federal definition of a "highly qualified teacher"? 

(a) Holds a bachelor's degree

(b) High CSET scores

(c) met the requirements set forth in the state's public charter school law

(d) teacher has be full state certification

(e)  the teacher has not had certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis

(54) Many states have adopted "high stakes testing" as part of recent educational reforms.  Which of the following is most strongly associated with "high stakes testing"?

(a) adequate yearly progress, Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program,

(b) high school exit exam, SAT exam, NCLB tests, criterion-referenced tests

(c) PhD Oral examinations, CAHSEE, SAT, high pressure

(d) high pressure, professional certification, periodic assessments

(e) single assessment, clear distinction between failing and passing, direct consequence for passing or failing; California High School Exit exam

(55) Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the National Science Education Standards?

(a) They outline what students need to know, understand, and be able to do
(b) Stress scientific literacy  at different grade levels.

(c) The standards were established  primarily to meet the needs of underachieving students.

(d) Stress the need to teach a few topics deeply rather than covering all available topics.

(e) "Hands-on" activities, while essential, are not enough. Students must have "minds-on" experiences as well."

(56) There has been much discussion and debate over the merit of national standards.  Which of the following best describes the National Science Education Standards?

(a)  Like the British national standards, the NSES are required in all public schools in America.

(b) The National Science Education Standards (NSES) are a set of guidelines for the science education in primary and secondary schools in the United States, as established by the National Research Council in 1996. These provide a set of goals for teachers to set for their students and for administrators to provide professional development, but are not binding.

(c) The NSES emphasize the memorization of specific facts and figures.

(d) The NSES are federal standards, meaning that they are approved at by government officials at the federal level.

(e) The NSES are a form of standards-based curriculum that focus on what teachers can do and know.  The NSES was designed primarily to overhaul teacher preparation programs nationwide.

(57) Which of the following is NOT true of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001?

(a) Each state shall establish a timeline for adequate yearly progress.

(b) The timeline shall ensure that not later than 12 years after the 2001-2002 school year, all students will meet or exceed the State's standards.

(c) Schools are held accountable for the achievement of all students, not just average student performance

(d) Schools that do not meet AYP for two years in a row are identified as "schools in need of improvement" and are subject to immediate interventions by the State Education Agency in their state.

(e) School performance is based upon performance relative to national standards in core curricular areas.

(58) Which of the following is NOT true of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

(a) it promoted an increased focus on reading

(b) It reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education act of 1965 (ESEA)

(c) It promotes norm-referenced assessment

(d) The Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if those states are to receive federal funding for schools.

(e) Requires that states link state academic content standards with student outcomes.

(59) Which of the following are common explanations for the "achievement gap"

(a) students who lack middle-class cultural capital and have limited parental involvement are likely to have lower academic achievement than their better resourced peers.

(b) Students from single-parent homes, common in many areas where achievement is lacking, often find it difficult to find time to receive help from their parent.

(c) Some students have difficulty getting help with their homework because there is not an English speaker at home to offer assistance

(d) Some students often feel little motivation to do well in school because they think that it will most likely not pay off in the form of a better jobs or social mobility

(e) all of the above

(60) Which of the following is a not an example of a problem-based learning question?

(a) Compare and contrast C3, CAM and C4 photosynthetic pathways with respect to efficiency, water requirements, and species distribution.  Which photosynthetic pathway is most common in tropical grasses?  Explain the advantage of this pathway in tropical settings.

(b) The mountain gorilla is a rare and endangered species living in the mountains of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Develop a plan for saving the mountain gorilla from extinction.   Alternatively, your committee may develop a plan for saving the Asian elephant, giant panda, black rhinoceros, chimpanzee, tiger, or other endangered species.

(c) Tropical rainforests comprise less than two percent of the Earth’s surface area, but account for more than 50% of all plant and animal species.  Satellite photos from NASA show extensive deforestation in the Amazonian basin, equatorial Africa, and southeastern Asia.   The United Nations has contracted your company to write a report predicting the biological, hydrological, climactic, economic, and social impacts of tropical rainforest deforestation.

(d) The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the Earth’s ozone layer from destruction by man-made chemicals.  Nearly all nations have signed the treaty, making it the most widely adopted treaty to date.  The United Nations has hired your team to evaluate the economic, scientific, environmental, and social impacts of the treaty.  Alternatively, your team may select to evaluate the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United States Endangered Species Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, or the National Environmental Policy Act

(e)Your city council has just appointed you to an earthquake (or tornado, hurricane, flood, volcano, fire, meteor strike, or other natural disaster) preparedness committee.  Your committee is charged with assessing the risks, creating a disaster preparedness plan, and informing the community.

 

(61) In 1983, The Federal government issued the Nation at Risk Report.  Which of the following was NOT part of their recommendations for the high school curriculum?

(a) 4 years of English

(b) 3 years of mathematics

(c) 3 years of science

(d) 3 years of social studies

(e) 1 year of fine and/or performing arts

(62) Plutarch said that “the mind is not a vessel to be filled. It is a fire to be kindled”. Which of the following quotes appears to agree with Plutarch's assertions with respect to the teaching and learning of mathematics?

(a) Poor teaching leads to the inevitable idea that the subject (mathematics) is only adapted to peculiar minds, when it is the one universal science, and the one whose ground rules are taught us almost in infancy and reappear in the motions of the universe. – H.J.S. Smith

(b) Students must learn that mathematics is the most human of endeavors. Flesh and blood representatives of their own species engaged in a centuries long creative struggle to uncover and to erect this magnificent edifice. And the struggle goes on today. On the very campuses where mathematics is presented and received as an inhuman discipline, cold and dead, new mathematics is created. As sure as the tides.– J.D. Phillips

(c) The Universe is a grand book which cannot be read until one first learns to comprehend the language and become familiar with the characters in which it is composed. It is written in the language of mathematics.– Galileo

(d) The value of a problem is not so much coming up with the answer as in the ideas and attempted ideas it forces on the would be solver. – I.N. Herstein

(e) All of the above.

 

 

 

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