Hi Julia:
Great! Prestesting can also in spire students who recieve a preview of upcoming topics in class. Some might even begin preparing for topics ahead of of time.
But the best help this activity provides is giving the teacher an idea at what level their students are at at the momement, and assessing if the curriculum needs to be tweaked some to better serve the students.
Regards, Barry
Great idea, I'll try this in one of my next classes. It will give me a better understanding of the students learning ability and help me focus on certain areas that need to be covers more thoroughly with hands on demos or when producing pp presentations.
Hi Peggy:
Great. I think the more we know at what level of knowledge or performance our students are at, the better able we are to transfer our knowledge to them and help them meet the course objectives. I don't think students really mind doing pretesting either, particuarly if they know there in no grade associated with the activity.
Regards, Barry
Hi Kelly:
Good technique. Students will usually appreciate the opportunity to see what's ahead in the class, and depending on the class performance, may give the teacher a rationale for tweaking their curriculum a bit to better match the overall level of performance for that cohort of students. The next go around may be different. That's why pretesting can be a helpful tool for teachers.
Regards, Barry
Pretesting allows you to see what the students know about the material and if they read the assigned reading. I also like to give a post test on the same material to see if they were able to follow and learn from the lecture content.
I use a practice test to see if the students are retaining all the needed information. This lets me know how much reviewing is needed before a test.
Hi Brian:
In a non-threatening way, students get to see what they may be tested on in the future and what's in store for them in the topics ahead.
Regards, Barry
It tells me where my class is as a whole as well as where the high, midrange, and low points are in terms of student skill sets. I also use the same pretest at the end of the semester to assess student learning outcomes in a longitudinal format.
Hi Chris:
That's one of the best reasons for teachers to use pretests. Each class or topic often will be different from others, especially if it's a new group of students. We can tweak the curriculum to be a better match for what the students are lacking and where we want to add emphasis and focus.
Regards, Barry
Hi Chris:
Good analysis. Students benefit too, by previewing upcoming topics. Some may even get motivated or excited about coming events.
Regards, Barry
It would give me a framework as to where i would need to adjust my teaching style for different students based on where they are
Hi Kham:
Yes, usually a teacher can determine at what level their students are generally coming from, and at what level the teacher will need to teach to. I've found few classes are same term after term, so this activity can help refine where my focus and emphasis will be.
Regards, Barry
Hi Rachel:
Pretests can be valuable to both student and teacher. For the student, they can see the depth and breadth of upcoming topics, and perhaps begin to prepare for areas they think they might need extra study. For the teacher, results may reveal that unexpected areas of course content may need more emphasis or focus based on the testing. I think another benefit for both is pretesting can assist putting the teacher and student aligned with similar goals for successful outcomes.
Regards, Barry
To assess student background and knowledge.
Hi Frederick:
I have found my students get used to taking a brief pretest when I start a new unit. They have learned that it may contain keys to the quizzes and tests they'll be taking at some point. Some even rely on their non-graded pretest for studying. Afterall, I am assessing what is known about a subject so I can be sure I cover essential material thoroughly. That said, I can say I don't pretest every topic, or even every course. It depends on the particular cohort I'm teaching with at the time.
Regards, Barry
Pretests are good to help determine where the student intellectual status level was at in he past so you can figure out what will work for them in the new course
Helps to determine baselines of knowledge that the instructor can use for analysis prior to or early in the course of instruciton. This also enables organization and insures time is well spent instead of wasted.
Hi Kimberely:
Yes, and this activity can help a teacher plan for unexpected appearences of areas that may need additional focus or emphasis.
Regards, Barry
It allows you to see exactly where your students regarding to course material. This then allows for any adjustments to be made accordingly.
Hi John:
Great! Pretests can be very simple and short or more comprehensive, like covering all the material that'll be covered in a class. Both methods are of benefit - mostly to the instructor for planning purposes. But students can plan as well, based on the information being assessed. There should not be a grade for the pretest, although I think it's OK to give credit as an activity.
Regards, Barry
