Effective assessment methods
What are some of the assessment methods you have used with good success?
I make my own test and quizzes. I use the CD with test banks as a resource for ideas and material. I use a combination of MCQs, completion and short answer test formats. The students do not like the "short answer" format.
However, the Final Comprehensive Exam at the end is entirely of multiple-choice format because of the greater number of questions(80 to 90 questions).
A practical exam in the auto class could be one where we number "post its" and place them on certain parts of the car and have the students name the part and function
I agree. I think different learning styles should be explored and tried through out each course. It very interactive and assessments help the learner Great Post!
A pop quiz before a lecture is a good measurement. This information will help guide the instructor as well as the student.
I like brief short answer questions on reading assignments. I find they help reinforce key points. I usually use a combination of matching and true/false for formative and summative evaluations. I find the process of refining the questions is ongoing.
Since I am a healthcare instructor, I have used "See one, do one, teach one" with success when checking competencies. My class is a hands-on class. Skills are graded, and there is a proper way to do everything.
I have used case studies, presentations and also multiple choice questions to gauge students' levels of comprehending and retaining information.
I was surprised to find I used various assessment methods with the correct level of content I had been meaning to test. My tests have broken a few of the tips, which I intend to correct for the next term. I'm happy I'll be able to use what I learned!
I generally use standardized test questions in order to prepare students for the types of questions they will see on their national certification exam. I typically make up a worksheet for study that asks similar questions in a short answer or completion format.
I often use the standardized content that comes with the textbook. I typically stick to multiple choice or true/false questions. For terminology, I often use matching quizzes.
I prefer short answer questions rather than multiple choice, because I can gain more information that the students really know rather than guesses.
I use the tests that comes with the material, even though I do some changes or modifications depending on my students needs.
Hi Robert, "Teaching Back" is a great test of competency!
Susan Polick
When teaching math I have my class go into a lower level classroom and teach to those students what they have learned. The students enjoy playing the role of a teacher and create their own tests for that class. If you are able to create tests and solve those problems while teaching others, you have learned the material I am able to also, assess their understanding of what they have learned through their application.
I took over teaching the math portion of our welding inspector program from another teacher, and I use the multiple choice test he designed along with his syllabus. That test is the one and only grade my students receive. I don't particularly like it, because I have students with test anxiety and I don't feel as if one test on a given day is an accurate depiction of what your students know. So far though, it is working with great success. To put my students at ease though, I do formative assessments throughout the course. I have students do problems for me and the class to demonstrate they've "got it." I ask lots of questions so each student has the opportunity to answer and show his/her knowledge and application. I also like to have my students do the standardized chapter exams. Then I go over all the answers in class. These make for excellent study materials as the chapter exams are where the previous instructor pulled his final exam questions from.
I also do the same. Also utilizing test banks
I have always had good response with a mixture of multiple choice and true/false questions. That being said, the courses I have taught so far are less hands-on that some that I hope to teach in the near future. I will be using more avenues to assess my students learning as I progress through my development as an instructor.
Hi Daniel, Thanks for sharing a great example of why we need to regularly review assessments!
Susan Polick
one of our assesments was a 2 part test with 25 multiple choice questions and 2 essay questions. We found that the overall grades were extremely high and that the average time for the multiple choice tests was so low that we thought it was time to re evaluate the questions. We took out the "throw away" answers and re worded the questions. The biggest difference was that we added several fill in the blank questions. We also added an extra essay question. What we found was a wider range of scores and more thinking taking place during the test versus immediate recall of memorized words and statistics.
