Giving students the test answers and easy sign offs
Students should have to think and anylize subjects there learning by covering all subject matter for that course. if we just tell them the answer they dont learn very much , just about what they had to think about. when you ask the multiple diagnostic quest. opon them getting signed off it makes them think about how it works and how certain components could cause certain problems.therefore making sure they have learned the subject matter for that course
Hi Annette,
Good assessment method. It has them dig out the information if they don't already know it.
Gary
I like to give my students exams aka "test packets". They work on questions using their notes and books. They have to look for the answers. I tend to make those exams harder so they have to do a lot of research to find the correct answers. They like this approach since it takes some of the stresses related to traditional test taking.
I use to give a pre-test review and found that students would not study thier notes. I now tell the students that the test is on section(whatever), now they have to study that section of notes.
We used to give closed book tests, but found that the good students were often frustrated because they couldn't remember exactly what they needed. Good technicians don't memorize things, they learn where to look for the info. We now give open book tests with challenging questions and a time limit. If the students basically knows the material, he will do well and receives positive motivation. Those who don't study and just try to look up the answers don't do any better than when we had closed book tests. The biggest gain is in the intermediate student who often became frustrated by his continuing lack of success on the written tests. He usually does much better and maintains a much more positvie attitude toward the course.
I agree with Terry, a good tech will always know the source of the problem and were to resource information to solve this problem.
I give closed book test in my room, but I allow my students to use every other aspect of there traing and enviroment... such as manuals, parts motors ect.
I believe the mark of a good technician is not to know evereything...but to know how and where to find the answers...unless you want to hold a students hand for the rest of their career..we must redirect them to seek and find answers in technical resources(that includes internet, printed material, and video information). In summary an old saying says..." give a man a fish you feed him for a day,...teach him to fish you feed him for life..." Ok, what is different here?
You know the answer or you don't I will not sign off on a student that can't perform their given task.
We are always being asked by our students "are my answers right and can you preview the test info for us" . My first response to there lab work questions are, what was the objective to the worksheet? Does your work fit the specs. of the work being completed,and what would the out come be if this was correct or incorrect.So in fact I want the student to use his info from lecture and referance material to tell me if his work is correct or incorrect.Test info I will not review the test but I will quiz them on there lab sheets.What is the quiz anyway?Just a lab sheet thats in a given format. If they can complete the lab work and effectivly complete the tasks given they already have the anwsers for the quiz.
I don't give the answers, I make them look for it.
Hi Eric,
Students should learn material that will help them to cope with life and problem solve. Career college students are learning methods, skills and ideas that will enable them to be successful in their career field. They need to be able to apply what they have learned. You make a good point about the purposes of testing.
Gary
It seems to me that the purpose of a quiz is to test their ability to think, to take the knowledge you have given them and analyze a problem. To teach the material straight from the test, we are just testing their ability to memorize and repeat. I would like to think that I am expanding minds, not programming robots. Besides that, most people do not have the ability to memorize something just because you said so. People must see the logic in a concept to remember it.
I am constantly asked by students what the answers are to quizzes. I give them the reply that I have given them the answers, Its called the curriculum. They must have enough familuarity with the subject that they can find the answer. If they cant digest the material and find the answer in the classroom what will they do 6 months or one year from now when thier boss hand s them the work order and expects that to do the job? If they dont have the base knowledge to at least go through the proper steps to find the knowledge, what good is giving them the answer to specific question in class. I expect my students to have a working knowledge of all their previous classes. If that knowledge has already been lost in a matter of weeks, they are in for some hard times in the real world. Iam a little different than some of my peers, When I go into a class, I take the quizzes I will be giving and find the actual information in the curriculum. While this makes me aware of highlights I do no teach only this information. I use the quizzes to evaluate my memories and experiances to help out the relating of the material to the classroom.
