Using Topic Modeling to Assess Middle School Science Discourse based on Next Generation Science Standards

In this paper we apply natural language understanding and topic modeling methods to create an instructional tool for assessing science discourse in interactive multimedia presentations that are created, shared and discussed by students. The resulting assessment prototype will enable teachers to follow student discourse in real time, to understand gaps in student learning, and to improve teaching practices. Middle School Life Sciences and Physical Sciences standards from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) serve as a basis for assessing domain relevance. Domain knowledge and standards are modeled, and student discussions are analyzed and graphed.