Table 3 List of items from the PSKA with high discrimination values (greater than 0.2) during Spring 2019 within each component from Golick et al.’s (2018) framework
From: Developing and evaluating a pollination systems knowledge assessment in a multidisciplinary course
Organizational component Question stem | Item statement (correct response) | Item discrimination |
|---|---|---|
Plant structures, types, and purpose of pollination for plants | ||
As part of their reproductive cycle… | …apple trees require insect pollination (true) | 0.36 |
|  | …pine trees require insect pollination (false) | 0.36 |
|  | …corn plants require insect pollination (false) | 0.27 |
|  | …watermelon plants require insect pollination (false) | 0.33 |
As a result of pollination, the following products are produced… | …almonds (true) | 0.45 |
|  | …coffee beans (true) | 0.33 |
During the process of pollination… | …pollen is transferred from the male part to the female part of different plants (true) | 0.30 |
The parts of a plant directly involved in pollination include… | …leaves (false) | 0.24 |
|  | …stems (false) | 0.24 |
The following describes the role of pollination for plants… | …pollination is required by plants to reproduce (false) | 0.21 |
|  | …pollination is the movement of gametes (true) | 0.27 |
|  | …pollination helps a parent plant grow taller (false) | 0.21 |
|  | …pollination is the movement of seeds (false) | 0.45 |
The process of pollination… | …might include only one plant (true) | 0.27 |
|  | …includes dispersal of seeds by elements (wind or water) (false) | 0.45 |
Pollinator structures, behavior, and purpose of pollination for pollinators | ||
Species from the following groups function as pollinators in ecosystems… | …bats (true) | 0.24 |
Pollination in ecosystems commonly occurs through… | …foxes walking through a field (false) | 0.36 |
|  | …wind dispersing seeds (false) | 0.54 |
Pollen is regularly transferred between flowers by… | …bodies of butterflies (true) | 0.21 |
|  | …a cow’s nose as they’re eating flowers (false) | 0.30 |
|  | …hummingbird’s feathers (true) | 0.24 |
What is true about pollination and plants? | …if one pollinator species disappears, other pollinator species can always take their place to pollinate the same plants (false) | 0.36 |
Pollinators primarily benefit from pollinating plants by… | …using pollen to build their nests (false) | 0.24 |
Pollinators… | …intentionally collect pollen to pollinate plants (false) | 0.63 |
Pollination systems function and conservation actions | ||
When considering the importance of pollination for farmers growing insect-pollinated crops… | …pollination can lead to an increase in weeds in the farmer’s field (false) | 0.21 |
A decline in pollinators can affect a society by… | …decreasing allergic reactions to pollen (false) | 0.33 |
Pollinators can affect the ecosystem by… | …helping a parent plant grow better and faster (false) | 0.21 |
Some pollinator-friendly practices that you can engage in are… | …watering your lawn so pollinators have a water source (false) | 0.30 |
Strategies to conserve pollinators include… | …hiring a lawn service to spray the lawn for pests on a scheduled basis (false) | 0.27 |