Hi Debra:
Pre-tests can also be a great way for the instructor to see how much time they will need to spend on any given subject based on the overall class outcomes from the pretest.
Regards, Barry
Hi Ulises:
Pretests can also help an instructor create solid stidy plans whereby they will have a better idea of how much time needs to be spent on one area compared to another.
Regards, Barry
Pretests can help you ascertain what level your students are at, so you can structure the class accordingly, and it also helps the students preview what will be ocurring in the class.
When students take pre tests and they see that they do have knowledge of some things it gives them confidence to learn what they come up short on. Giving a pretst can take away some anxiety on certain levels and it can let me know what i need to focus on with the class as a whole.
I also like giving pretests, not only do they help me to assess the students, the pretests are a good motivator. After ths students take their final test, I like to give them their pretest so they can see hoe much they have actually increased their knowledge.
It helps the students as well. Which is the real point of instuction.
Pretests help me guage the current level of the students as well as introducing the material for the first time. Students will retain some of the pretest questions in memory and look for the answers during the course.
I like pretests, they give me an understanding of a students knowledge level entering the class.
As we go through the course, i like to refer back to the pretest so students hava a measure of how far they have come and of what learning has taken place
I use pretests and then, anonymously, go over problens/issues that students have. I never say that only one students feels this or that, it is always, some of you or many of you. I think they feel a little better about what they don't know and that others are in the same boat.
It can assess the knowledge of all of your students and help you judge where you need to begin, how much background info they need, and if certain students belong or can handle the work.
Hi Joseph:
Pretesting can be a helpful tool. It takes some prep time, and course time away from other activities, but when I don't how much my students know, or when they're just beginning, that's a good time to do pretesting.
Also, it doesn't have to be an exhaustive pretest. Sometimes, just 2-3 questions is all that is needed to determine where the emphasis of the topic will be.
Regards, Barry
Giving my students pretest at the beggining of my course really allows me to determine the overall skill level in my class. At the school I teach we have 10 week rotating groups of students. Not all classes are up the same speed as others.
I have never used pretests. What I use are my quizes and the quizes are cumalitive. I also hand the quizes back to the students so they can use them to study from for the final.
I think pretests are a great idea. I believe that my upcoming class and I would benefit. How do you prepare a pretest? Is it vocabulary words? How do you assess learning styles in a pretest?
A pretest is a great tool in instructional planning, and to get students over testing fears and frustrations. Since the test is most likely ungraded, students should feel more relaxed, have less pressure, and be able to answer the questions more accurately since they know it is not going to affect their grade. This can help them feel more comfortable with future tests. Additionally, this will also provide the instructor with what type of test questions to use during test and quiz creations. More importantly, the instructor will have a better idea of the knowledge level each student has for the course. In turn, this will assist in making critical instructional planning adjustments on what subjects the students need more training or attention in to meet the class goals.
Personally, I have not used any pretest methods, but I can see the relevance it can provide, and plan to start using pretests next semester.
It helps you as an instructor, first determining where they are coming from and what they learned in previous classes, and then what they can apply to your class. The students may be suprised themselves at what they've learned.
I agree, pretest allow us to what is the starting point relating to the goals that need to be reached by each student.
Pre-tests help you determine the strenght and weknesses of the students
to create a starting point to advance upon the objectives of the course
Pretest scores provide the necessary information to plan for the use of activities when covering identified troublespots in the semester.
