Selecting testing content
What should be the criteria for selecting testing content?
I think a well designed test will have at least half to 2/3 of the questions covering the basic main points that every student should be able to answer if they have been in the course. The questions should not be the exact same questions they have seen in a previous quiz, but should be worded differently or in a different format so that the student is not just memorizing the answers. For the remaining questions, they can be a little tougher- asking questions requiring some real critical thinking and judgement, or that cover some of the details that may have only been briefly discussed in the class. That way, those who have a solid grasp on the material as well as have put forth extra effort to study the material, keep up on homework, extra assignments, etc., will score very high; the average student will receive an average score; and if any student completely fails will have done so because he really did not meet the requirements of the course and put forth the effort needed to learn the information.
The criteria for selecting testing content should always focus on the concept of alignment. Your course goals should align with your chapter/unit/weekly learning objectives. With the learning objectives you should ensure that you teach students the appropriate content so that they can achieve mastery of the learning objectives. To ensure proper mastery and to give students practice both your formative and summative assessments should test each learning objective. Between the formative and summative assessments you should tell your students what they did well so they can replicate it again on the summative assessment and what they need to improve upon so that they can adjust accordingly for the summative assessment.
One thing that has stood the test of time is Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction which first came about in 1985. The steps include gain attention of the learner, describe the goal, stimulate recall of prior knowledge, present the material to be learned, provide guidance for learning, elicit performance “practiceâ€, provide informative feedback, assess performance test, and enhance retention and transfer.
The test should always be based on what the course objectives are and what is essential that they take away from the course not just randomly picking obscure information to see if they read an assignment or were paying attention in class.
The testing content should be based on the course objectives and what you expect the students to learn from that course.
True, there are so many different assessments in a course that you must understand your students' needs to be able to test them accordingly.
Hi Bob, I agree that regular frequent quizzes are a good strategy to give much needed feedback to students and instructors.
Susan Polick
Sometime quizzes/tests are given at the end of 2 or 3 days of information on multiple bits of information which can be an overload. By adding daily quizzes the information is smaller to digest and when the final test is given the scores will be higher that if they had to try to remember every bit of information given. So by splitting the content into smaller sections pertaining to the content you are tying to convey the learning is easier.
Hi Robert, Thanks for sharing an excellent summary of effective assessments. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
Peter, I agree that the criteria for selecting testing content should be based on the objectives of the course and that the test should show the student their level of understanding of those course objectives. If the course objectives include troubleshooting or analysis, than tests can be more difficult to prepare. If not, I try to mix question types to avoid tedium during the testing/examination, noting that a person shouldn't be able to use previous test questions and answers to answer too many subsequent questions.
Focusing the testing on the course objectives is always key. We had previously relied heavily on multiple choice testing which seemed to work well as a quick assessment of retention. Easy to administer and grade. A new course director has since pressured us to add additional group practical exercises and discussions into the evaluations. Although the PE were allot more difficult to create and grade – the students really seem to react positively to the practical exercises, and the learning and retention have gone way up.
The first and most important criteria for selecting testing content should be that the testing content ties directly back to all of your course objectives. Additionally, content should be selected according to how well it delineates top performing, average, and below average students. Furthermore, the test should exam the skills that have been acquired during the course, allowing the student to see how much information or skills that they have gained from the course. Finally, the testing content should not only test the general knowledge gained in the course but allow for the student to use critical thinking by applying the learned information to actual situations found within their chosen profession.
I always make sure that everything that was talked about is in the test. I also will put in questions that where not discussed and are only found in the reading material just to keep them in check and make sure hey are reading the book's.
Hi Dominick, Thanks for your post to the forum. I like the idea of asking students to relate what they have learned to current events. It encourages them to use critical thinking skills. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
All material covered throughout the term should be included in testing content, as well as current event information related to the subject.
The criteria for selecting test content should be to make sure the content reflects the lessons the student's have been going over in class. Test questions should be easily understood by the student and the type of test should be considered for the type of response you are requiring.
the contents of a test or quiz should directly be subjective of the material at hand. the test should not only have a right or wrong answer,but should in turn show an explanation as to why something is done in the this fasion due to peticular curcumstances.
I agree with Mr. Johannsen. The content needs to reflect the objectives for the student.
When selecting test content you should consider the students and their learning ability.
The contact must be consistent with the objectives and goals of the course syllabi, and the lesson plan. It also must be in line with the overall course outline.
