On the first day of class i give real world scenarios of some of the weighted topics that we will discuss during the module. I then ask the students questions based on the scenarios or case studies just given. This acts as an assesment tool not only to judge their problem solving techniques but also to gauge what they already do and dont know.
I discuss the work experiences of my students to determine if anyone has experience in the area of the course. I also like to use pretests to determine areas of experience.
The course I teach has two different books and before we use them I ask them basic questions about the material. Most often the students have at least a basic knowledge of the material. I then build upon that knowledge.
Most of my students are from the Department of Defense so I start each class discussing the students past assignments and their varying backgrounds. I make notes of each students strengths as I perceive them so that I can integrate them into class discussions where their expertise will be critical.
I also have a dicussion on the first day to see what the students background is and where they are from ,what they expect to get out of the class and try to see what they actually know about what I am going to teach.
Norman,
It is a great idea to provide time in your lesson plan, to give students an opportunity to reflect on their backgrounds and areas of interest. Each day, you may find out something that will assist you in understanding their individual learning styles and levels of subject knowledge.
Tremayne Simpson
I give pre-tests, but find that I can determine much more during the course introduction and build on that information as I get to know the the learners. I ask their background before the course starts and begin a conversation with them. They expand that conversation during the introduction time I deliberately plan where all briefly give their background, primary area of interest, current position, and hobbies. I start that with my introduction. I build on that information before each day starts, during breaks and lunch, and at the end of the day, especially when we meet for a social.
i use a round table discussion of the class topic to get the students involved and test there pre course knowledge
On the first day of class I take time to go around the class in a discussion , during this chat I ask the studend where they are from, what they were doing before entering this school,what was their hobbys, and what they see as their future. this always gives me some insight as to what they know or kon't know about the course content.
Matthew,
An informal conversation is a great way to fully gage your students' backgrounds and prior knowledge of the subject. "Setting the tone" with these types of discussions on the first day of the course, can really work to "break the ice" and establishing a positive classroom environment.
Thank you for the post.
Tremayne Simpson
I usually strike up a conversation with the entire class relating to the subject at hand. My questions and the students input will usually give me an idea of the existing knowledge of my students.
I primarily teach off campus with externship students. I typically use the first couple of days of a new semester to work with students in a lab setting to brush up on skills and get an idea of their individual competencies.
Dar-
An initial assessment is a great way to understand the varying levels of your students. Also, the assessment can be used a "prescriptive" tool that can be helpful to the instructor, in regards to their lesson planning. If a consensus of the students are having difficulty with a particular concept (i.e. fractions, decimals, etc), then the instructor can adapt the lesson plans to adhere to the needs of the students.
In teaching math to adult students, who vary by gender and age, a pretest assessment is given in the beginning of the class. The pretest is short and involves easy questions(to build confidence)and elaborates to more critical thinking for the last problems. This is not a pass or fail, just an assessment to give me an idea of what math level I should begin with, the approach of each math objective, and how much time should be spent on each objective.
