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Susan McKenney 
University of Twente
Title: Teacher learning in design-centric partnerships
Abstract: The last decade has witnessed a strong increase in mutually-beneficial collaboration between researchers and practitioners. This presentation focuses on one such form of collaboration: design-centric partnerships. Design-centric partnerships between researchers and practitioners typically aim to: create resources to support active pedagogies; contribute to the professional development of those involved; and advance theoretical understanding. In part because design-centric partnerships are highly ambitious, realizing their potential it can be quite challenging. This presentation discusses the risks and the warrants of design centric partnerships for teacher learning. It begins by outlining key mechanisms for teacher learning, and then discusses how teachers can grow professionally from engaging in the processes of creating and supporting active pedagogies. It then discusses considerations for shaping design-centric partnerships specifically to foster those processes. Examples of design-centric partnerships for science education will be given, along with recommendations for teachers, researchers and policy makers.
Georg Rieger 
University of British Columbia
Title: Examinations That Support Learning – How two-stage assessment became common practice at the University of British Columbia
Abstract: Traditional midterm or final examinations in science are intended to be summative assessments of individual performance. Working collaboratively in small groups of two to five learners, which is common in active learning classrooms, does not seem to fit into these high stakes tests. The two-stage exam, on the other hand, is an approach that integrates collaborative learning while still assessing the students’ individual performance. In a two-stage exam students first complete and turn in the exam individually, and then, working in small groups, answer (part of) the exam questions again. Since its first implementation at the University of British Columbia in 2011, the format has become widely used at our institution and now more than fifty science courses have adopted two-stage exams. Instructors in other faculties are increasingly making use of this kind of assessment as well, sometimes with modifications. Two major factors have contributed to the success of the two-stage format: its benefits that are evident to instructors and students alike, as well as its relatively straightforward application.
I will present the benefits and challenges of two-stage exams, provide a description of how this format is commonly used in science courses, discuss which factors contributed to the widespread adoption of this approach, show its versatility and speculate about the future of two-stage assessments at our institution and beyond.
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you once again, or meeting you for the first time. This year’s program is bigger than ever and offers an exciting variety of sessions with presenters from over sixteen institutions – local, national and international. Join us for our distinguished keynote presenters Dr. Susan McKenney (University of Twente, the Netherlands) and Dr. Georg Rieger (University of British Colombia). 
