Project Grant 2235595

The National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) awarded a $196,959 Project Grant to The Ohio State University to develop new and improved assessment tools for measuring students' conceptual understanding in introductory physics courses. This collaborative project, involving researchers from Michigan State University, Ohio State University, and West Virginia University, aims to replace the widely used Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) with research-informed, fair, and flexible assessment items and subscales developed through an evidence-centered design framework. The new assessment tools will provide instructors with fine-grained insights into their students' grasp of kinematics and dynamics, enabling them to better target instruction. The project team plans to validate the new assessments with approximately 15,000 students across six universities to ensure superior psychometric properties and fairness for women, underrepresented minority students, and first-generation college students.