PROCEEDINGS OF THE 21ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2018
San Diego, California
Validation of an Assessment for Introductory Linear Algebra Courses
Page: 1541
Research-based and validated open-ended assessments are useful tools to explore students’ reasoning and understanding of a subject. The primary goal of this study is to validate an assessment which can accurately measure students’ conceptual understanding of four focal topics, typically covered in an introductory linear algebra course; span and linear independence, systems of linear equations, linear transformations, and eigenvalues and eigenvectors. I used the assessment data of 255 students, from nine linear algebra classes at eight different institutes across the country to validate the assessment. By administering the assessment in their classes, linear algebra instructors can gauge their students’ conceptual understanding of linear algebra concepts and can identify the concepts which are generally vexatious for students.