I agree, yet I believe that there are some principles and facts which should be a part of student knowledge. If they don't know the difference between fresh yeast and instant dry yeast it could be problematic.
I am in a Practical class that doesn't do a lot of the traditional testing. I use more of a repetition of procedures. I instruct or demonstrate how to do something then I ask them to repeat it day after day. I find what level the student is at and try to teach to that level so as to not discourage the student. Determining the effectiveness is quite easy in a practical or hands on setting because the product either comes out how I asked it to come out or not. I use a lot of rubrics to determine how the students are preforming so as to not be subjective.
I tend to ask questions in various formats. I like to keep the test random, so that the students won't get used to one type of test. If you always give them multiple choice, then they won't study as hard because it is easier to pick the answers out through process of elimination.
Working in a career focused environment I perfer to give tests that are practical applications of techniques the student has learned. While written tests serve some purpose for my students, their ability to recreate a dish or sauce following principles they have learned is much more valuable in judging what they have retained and mastered.
pop quiz is the best, keep them on their toes. it eliminates the pre test stress. i perfer it.
I agree with Vicki - take the objectivity out of the process. I also cover the exam after taken and discuss in detail the correct answers and why.
In the kitchen setting, we rely on practical testing as our main assessment technique. However, when we give written exams in conjunction with a practical, I try to include several different testing formats within the exam, in order to encourage the students to use different approaches to problem-solving.
Hi James- Welcome to ED 103! As you mention, sometimes the only way to determine why the majority of the class is doing poorly is to drill down on the completed assessments. What are they not getting? Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
Hi Vicki- Thanks for your post! If you originally included the question because it seemed relevant, be sure to review how you covered that material as the problem may not be with the question. Best wishes! Susan
I would typically use multiple-choice and short answer questions on my tests as I was dealing primarily with solid facts, math problems, etc. But when grading the tests, if a large percentage of the class missed the same question, I would toss the question out or at the very least re-work it because it obviously was not working.
Basically I look for recall, because I teach a hands on technique subject. Thus, I select multiple choice, true and false mostly, with a few short essay style questions.
I pretty much get a bell curve distribution depending on the student levels in class. If I find a class is on a slower pace, I try to emphasize most of the points in lecture that will be on the test. If the class falls below a certain grade level average, i.e. 70, then I try to assess why performance was so poor by reviewing the test in class.
I use a combination of mulriple choice and true/ false especially for entry level classes. This validates that I am teaching what is needed for the current class and others.
In using a particular testing format I'm looking to see what information is most important for them to know, and how best to asses that information. Often times my exams combine a number of different testing formats because the information I am testing on often will fall into more than one testing format, and this allows me to accurately asses their knowledge
I try to align the testing format to the outcomes that the student needs to achieve. I really work hard not to have assessments that fail to reinforce learning and tests that fail to maximize the learning styles of my students.
When creating a new test for a class I generally mix the types of formats initially and then after grading I may alter later tests to the type of format most suitable for the class.
I need the student to retain as much information as they can in a short amount of time. I can determine how effective the completion testing, short answer test along with the skill application testing as they apply the learned information in the hands on applications in the classroom.
I try and think about how this information is perceived to profesional businesses. Is this information to help round out the career they have chosen or is this core information necessary for daily functions. Short answer and essay for a particular core criteria and matching for terms or bulk information and t/f for recognizing blanket statements from the material covered.
Clearly, I need to change my testing methods. I use alot of CAT's in my program, but use more traditional multiple choice questions at the end of the program. For the most part, this is a skills based program and would benefit better from a diagonostic approach.
We use lectures and testing. For some lecture then test preps for the practial. in some lecture then practical followed by written test is best. to lecture then test gives prior knowlege alowing a ckeck of understanding before the hands-on or lab. reading the class becomes inportant.
1. the complexity of the project / subject
2. if it is process oriented
3. if it needs to be demonstrated / explained
I use a combination of T/F and multiple choice and a few essay questions. I don't use the matching - it's too rudimentary for my students. I determine the effectiveness based upon their test grades and then adjust the subsequent projects to a higher or lower level challenge. I allow the students to explain how they did what they did during the presentation part prior to the project critique.
