Research suggests that, outside of socio-economic factors, the best predictor of student learning is what the student already knows before coming to class. Transference of knowledge from one domain to another is difficult. Students bring a lot of internalized old knowledge with them ---including their supersitions of how selves, societies, and solar systems operate. They glue new knowledge onto existing knowlege and, when it doesn't meld with the underlying structure, it often curls off when challenged like cheap veneer in a rain. The Background Knowledge Learning Probe assesses the mindset and language of students' private worlds. This allows the professor to prepare a learning environment where the new knowledge is more likely to stick.

Background Knowledge Probes are about as hard to prepare as good multiple choice exams; they are also as easy to score. One needs only a few questions to sample students' predispositions, yet one shouldn't rely too heavily on what one probe reveals. Probes are useful at the beginning of individual topics as well as whole courses. The accompanying example in the right panel is from a second day Background Knowlege Probe of a 300-level general education bioethics course.

----T.A. Angelo and K. P. Cross, 1993. Classroom Assessment Techniques, 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass., p. 121-5.

Background Knowledge Probe

Instructions: For each term, concept, or principle below in bold print, please circle the letter that best mirrors your current knowledge or practice.

1. Utilitarianism:

          a. I have never heard of this term before.
          b. I have heard of this term before but I really don't understand what
                it means.
          c. I have some idea of what this term means but I don't want to have to
                explain it.
          d. I have a clear idea of what this term means and can explain it.

2. Relative vs. Absolute Ethics:

          a. I have never heard of these terms before.
          b. I have heard of these terms before but I really don't understand what
                they mean.
          c. I have some idea of what these terms mean but the difference
                between them isn't clear.
          d. I have a clear idea of what these terms mean and can explain
                them both.

3. Genetic screening vs. genetic engineering:

          a. I have never heard of these terms before.
          b. I have heard of these terms before but I really don't understand
                what they mean.
          c. I have some idea of what these terms mean but the difference
                between them isn't clear.
          d. I have a clear idea of what these terms mean and can explain
                them both.

4. Basic (introductory college course) biological principles of genetics or ecology:

          a. I am unfamiliar with biological principles in both of these areas.
          b. I am somewhat familiar with biological principles in one of these
                areas.
          c. I am rather well acquainted with biological principles in one of these
                areas, but not both.
          d. I am somewhat familiar with biological principles in both of
                these areas.
          e. I am rather well acquainted with biological principles in both of
                these areas.

5. Personhood:

          a. I have never heard this term used before in an ethical sense.
          b. I have heard this term used in an ethical sense before but I
                really don't understand it.
          c. I have heard this term used in an ethical sense before and, if
                given time to think, could probably explain why it's important.
          d. I have a clear idea of what this term means and can explain its
                relevance to the bioethical issues of human and animal
                experimentation and abortion.

6. Ethics of teaching biology --- Evolution vs. creationism debate:

          a. I am unfamiliar with the debate.
          b. I know that the debate exists but am unfamiliar with the opposing
                arguments.
          c. I know that the debate exists and am somewhat familiar with
                the arguments.
          d. I am familiar with the debate and can explain the opposing
                arguments.
          e. I understand the debate and its arguments and can explain the
                bioethical issue involved.