Depends on the information being taught.
it depends on material and lesson
Hi Patricia- Thanks for your post to the forum. You have given us examples of some very important questions to ask ourselves when creating assessments. Thanks for sharing! Best wishes- Susan
Criteria: Was it content that was covered either in class lecture, reading assignments, or skills lab?
Is it information the student needs to know in order to be successful in their career field?
Is this content something that they need to know for a licensure or certification exam?
These are some of the questions I ask myself when creating the content for my exams.
I work for a technical school and the tests are already made up. It takes quite an effort to change the questioning on the tests as it affects all the campuses. We all use the same tests so as an instructor, we know what is on each test and we can somewhat teach to them in a very subtle way.
I think test content should focus mostly on the information presented in class.
Hi Linda- Thanks for your post to the forum. You have given an excellent summary of good assessment! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Test content should come directly from the learning environment (book, lectures, activities, assignments)of the class. Each test item should relate directly to one of the learning objectives for the class. Test items should be written in a similar style to the way the material was presented to the students.
Hi Claire - thanks for your post to the forum. You are right, students often have problems determining what are the most important concepts from our lessons. This is where we have to be the guides. I find that outlines, powerpoint (printed out) and other handouts make useful resources. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Students often have difficulty identifying what's important out of the many topics and sub-topics that have been discussed. I believe that testing should cover the essential parts, and that the learning and review processes should help students know what these are. I like to give short weekly quizzes. If a number of students miss a question on one week's quizz, I'll include it on the next week's quiz. This helps students know what's important. I don't think students should be surprised by what shows up on a test or quiz.
Hi Dean - Thanks for your post to the forum. You make a good point - it is essential when using test banks that the instructor carefully screens the questions to make sure that they reflect what was taught in the class. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Test banks are very good for t/f, multiple choice, and short answer questions. However, the instructor should take care to select questions on topics that are most important and were emphasized in class.
The criteria should be based on the material covered in the required Chapter. I believe in crafting the test so that it will differentiate between the excellent students that actually read the materials, do the homework and study for the exams, and the students that are willing to just scrape by with a passing grade.
I used to get frustrated with instructors who gave such a simple test that all of the students received an A on their test. I personally think that tests should be "curved", but my employer wants all assessments to be strictly based upon the 90,80,70 percent grading system. The unfortunate thing about this system is that it may not accurately differentiate because the test itself is not necessarily an accurate reflection of the student's understanding of the content.
Hi Juanita-I agree, tests and even the reviews for tests can be stressful. Adding some fun can provide relief. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I agree knowing your students knowledge level should determine how you select your test content. Making your review session should also include fun. This also helps with frustration and stress.
I think it is very important to consider student comprehension when selecting testing content; not just where you're at in the quarter/semester timewise!
You should only select questions which test the content that was covered in the course or that the student is expected to know based on the covered material.
It should be based upon what you want the students to learn. Ideally it would include a few methods of testing, such as multiple choice tests, essays, and/or practical demonstrations.
The criteria set should be on the course material that was taught in class to test there knowledge and recall of the course.
HI Diana- I really liked that explaination to your students! Best wishes- Susan
