Hi Maria - Thanks for your post to the forum. Based on the rationale that you gave, your preferred assessment choice is entirely appropriate! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
In nursing, we use multiple choice as our testing method. This is so because we are also training our students how to take multiple choice questions in preparation for the NCLEX. The questions however are phrased more on the analysis and application level of the Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning.
Susan
I generally tend to use several assessment tools in all of my English courses. First, I always check the CD standardized test questions that the publishers send. Then, I integrate their questions into my own multiple-choice, short answer and essay questions to test factual information. The other English instructor and I take each others tests and critique them before we ever give them to the students. I am always amazed how all of us look at questions so differently. Personally, I avoid True/False questions because I find them hard to develop. Some of the English courses in our department have pre/post-tests that have been written by a group of individuals to assess if we are teaching to the course objectives. This data is collected each term from each of the selected courses and then once a year it is gathered into a graph with a descriptive narrative that summarizes all of that information. We select different courses to be assessed every year. All English writing assignments do have specific rubrics that establish the objectives that the students will be graded on. Both the faculty and the students like this evaluation format.
Hi Denise - Thanks for your post to the forum. I also use standardized tests for some questions, especially if they come with the textbook that I am using, but, like you, also incorporate questions from class lectures and discussions.
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
it depends on the course and the content and how well I have interpreted and observed the student's understanding of it. I like to use the standardized tests incorporating my own questions in as well. I believe that this creates a bridge between the text and my own personal teaching style. Students respond well when there is a variety in the types of questions used. I do not try and trick the student into learning...I enjoy providing a situation of trust between the student and I.
I think we all work lesson plans and syllabi as well as have learners from all learning styles and educational foundations when they enter the classroom. I use a formative approach to determine where the class as a whole is at the time of the test and make sure that the questions are clear and direct and cover what was covered or proven along the way. This creates at times more work to redo instruments but it is more fair to the class as whole vs. the lesson.
Being a fairly new instructor, I like to recieve feedback as soon as possible to see if students have grasped what they just lerned, saw. What works for me in this situation, is asking a direct question to what they have learned, then asking the students to verbally tell me what they just learned. I like to use this right after a cooking demo, seems to work. this also seems to help the students be better prepared for their quizes and cooking practicals.
One of my favorite methods is to make the students to perform procedures and demonstrate techniques through:
* Demonstration
* Role Play
* Making a video or Power Point
* Produce a poster
* Lab report
* Prepare an illustrated manual on using the equipment
* Observation of real or simulated professional practice
Great idea!! As a new instructor, I think this is terrific. I am trying to use what is given my the instructors manual but would like to ass to it and make it my own without reinventing the wheel.
I am also guilty I use multiple choice, true and false and fill in the blank
Multiple choice has always been a favorite of mine.
I like to use a variety of assessments. At the end of the program the students have to take a comprehensive multiple choice computer adaptive test, so I have to make sure they are able to apply the knowledge they learned. Every class has several different formats used to assess the student progress.
Hi Stephen- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are doing a great job at assessment! I also have those 5 week classes and agree that it id difficult to cover all the bases in such a short time. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
By Edwardo mojena
When i lecture to my students on a subject i always apply a real life scenario of mine to put them at ease so they may feel that they can to apply their own experience when i draw them in by asking what do they think or apply an opinion from another student to what the other applied on.
I use the CD's that come with the books. I customize my tests and give them a mix of T/F and Matching. I also customize the Power Points and delete the one's that I feel are not meaningful to the discussions. In the future, I intend to give more essay's to the student's. I am constrained to a 5 week period,not much time to get all of the information to the students.
I have used oral testing and have found it effective in some cases. Particularly when you want to asses a topic that needs to be memorized. It takes some time to do individually but avoids small errors that can happen with pencil and paper.
Objective and oral presentations
Hi Diane - Thanks for your post to the forum. Your assessment choices are excellent. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
When students ask me what my test will be like I tell them I write tests that appeal to a wide range of test takers. Just as there are different learning styles, students all have different types of test that they prefer. I use multiple choice, matching, T/F and short answer (including picture labeling).
Hi Daniel - Thanks for your post to the forum. i agree with your take on assessments. If we are teaching to the competencies selected for the course,then that it what we should be assessing. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
