Assessing What Students Know About DC Circuits using the Determining and Interpreting Resistive Electric Circuits Concepts Test (DIRECT)

DIRECT is a conceptual diagnostic assessment covering DC resistive electric circuits. In this presentation, our facilitator will briefly discuss the development of DIRECT and the baseline results that were obtained. As part of this discussion, you will learn what DIRECT can and cannot measure, its limitations, and how best to use it. Additionally, you get information about where to get access to DIRECT and ways of administering it to your students.

This workshop is free and will be virtual via Zoom.

Facilitator: Paula Engelhardt (Tennessee Tech University), developer of DIRECT

During the 2025-2026 academic year, we are offering a series of presentation-discussion-workshops to share some of the many research-validated assessment instruments used in the physics education community. Join us to learn how you can use these instruments to inform your teaching, to assess your students' learning, and to contribute to a wider body of knowledge about physics students at two-year colleges.