Compared with their international peers, American junior high school students' achievement scores continue to rank below average in geometry and measurement, according to the recent TIMSS study (U.S. DofE, 1996). Alpine Media has developed an innovative approach for preparing interactive scenario-based, authentic assessment exercises linked to international mathematics standards. These authentic assessments will be presented in a motivational learning environment, and accessed via CD-ROM (Phase-I) and the Internet/World Wide Web (Phase II). The exercises developed by Alpine Media will provide rich interactive learning environments for students to explore mathematics concepts and principles, solve standard and non-routine problems, communicate personal understandings, and make mathematical connections. On-line multimedia performance assessments will be delivered within a Virtual Reality Performance Evaluator context, which has been effectively used in airline training simulations (Gibbons and Rogers, 1991). Exercises will be based on simulation of real world scenarios that motivate a wide range of students; where appropriate, they will make use of standardized software tools such as databases, spreadsheets, and word processors. Finally, these exercises will be designed for teachers to easily integrate the exercises into existing lesson plans and curricula. More importantly, these exercises will allow the teacher to customize the exercises and assessments for individual student needs.Summary of anticipated results and implications:Phase I results will show whether performance-based authentic assessments of mathematical power can be linked to international mathematics standards and developed for delivery via interactive CD-ROM and the Internet. Beta testing and formative evaluation for both delivery modes will be accomplished after the design and development phase. Beta testing will determine if the performance assessments conform with the product design and development plan. A formative evaluation after the design phase will show if the performance assessments can be effectively used by teachers and students; any improvements needed in assessment content, user interface design, implementation strategies, and scoring will be made at that time. Alpine Media will put its emphasis in Phase I on research and development issues that address the question: How can interactive technology be best used to develop and evaluate authentic assessments focusing on how to teach mathematical power using innovative, interactive scenarios linked to international standards?Phase I will focus on critical design issues and will result in the following deliverables: 1) A mathematical skills blueprint for geometry and measurement content particularly needed for students judged at-risk of school failure; 2) A design that incorporates specific technology development and delivery options for Phase I performance assessments; 3) Design specifications for on-line and printable performance assessments; 4) Developed on-line and printable performance assessments; 5) Formative evaluation results on the Phase I assessments with teachers and students; and 6) A prototype demonstration of one geometry and one measurement exercise for young children placed at risk for of school failure as described in the Work Plan section of this document. Based on findings in Phase I, Phase II will develop, for access via CD-ROM and Internet World Wide Web, a set of interactive scenario-based authentic mathematics assessments along with extended assessments for locally printed classroom delivery. The performance assessments will be developed as integrated learning and feedback environments with non-routine problems emphasizing mathematical power in problem solving, reasoning, communications, and making connections. Phase II will focus on integrating mathematical tools for teaching and assessing mathematical power. Phase II will also emphasize teacher training for effective implementation and use of all developed on-line and printed performance assessments. Phase I1 will also include a summative evaluation and experimental research design study to evaluate teacher and student achievement and attitudes after use of the standards based performance exercises.
