I look for the distribution of grades, too high or too low is a red flag that the assessment is not a true measure of student comprehension.
Hi Courtney- Thanks for your post to the forum. You reminded us to be willing to review our tests as guide to revising our instruction.
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Pretty much the test results. It would behouve any instructor to really take into account "what" area the students are missing the most and "re-review" that particular area of study.
It is easy for incorrect wording to turn what should be a factual based question into a "trick" question. Keeping the stats really helps in this area.
Hi Krista- Thanks for your post to the forum. You gave a very good description of how to utilize the identified learning styles in creating effective assessments. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I think one obvious way to determine the effectiveness of a test is to review the results. If many students performed poorly, or if there seem to be polarized results (As and Fs but barely any Cs--i.e. no bell curve), then the test may not allow the majority of students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. There will always be a small number of stellar students who have adapted to every learning style so that they can succeed in test-taking, so there will almost always be some high test scores. But if an instructor notices that many students are scoring below average, the test may not be effective.
However, there is always the possibility that low-scoring students are simply not understanding the material. In order to determine whether it's the test that's at fault or whether it's the instruction, a teacher needs to debrief with their students. S/he should ask the class how the test went. S/he should require students to take a diagnostic test that reveals the students' dominant learning styles. That way, s/he can understand the best way to craft the test for next time, using whatever mix of learning style techniques that would best apply to the students in that particular class.
HI Gary- Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree, it's always good to get as much feedback from our students. They really are our products and quality control is important! Best wishes - Susan
I request feedback from the students regarding the effectiveness of the test. If the feedback is positive, I usually conclude the test was a fair and accurate predictor of the student's mastery of the subject matter. On occasion because of negative feedback I will alter the test format for a subsequent test.
Terrific Nicole! Too often instructors use the same test over and over without assessing its effectiveness. Great work! Susan
This is so true! I am constantly revising my exams to ensure that what I meant to ask is how the questions is perceived by the students. I have other faculty look at my exams as well to give feedback and suggestions.
HI Steven- Thanks for your post to the forum. Bottom line is that you ask for and respect your students' input. Great work! Susan
I prefer the practical hands on approach type of testing. If students can demonstrate they understnad the concepts by actually completing the task/test, than I feel they have mastery of the subject matter.
Hi Sarah- Thanks for your post to the forum. You have obviously carefully crafted your assessment strategy. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Mary- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are doing a great job of monitoring and adjusting your assessment. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I compare all the student test to each other to evaluate the quality of the information I delivered. If a question was so hard that the majority of students answered incorrectly I review the information and how it was delivered, was the question not written clearly and make adjustments.
I first talk with the students and ask them what kinds of tests they typically prefer. For instance, I ask them if they prefer an essay format or MC. I think try to incorporate their feedback into the format of the first exam. Typically I write a majority of the questions in MC format, a few questions in short answer format, and one or two question in essay format. Depending on how well the class, as a whole, I then decide if I will change the format of the next exams or not. Sometimes I have less MC questions on the remaining exams and sometimes I have less essay/short answer questions. However, I never eliminate one style of questioning completely.
Grades of course, but watching your stronger students speed taking the test and listening to comments afterward should also be a guide.
I look for discrepancy. Once I have diagnosed my students' general strengths and weaknesses, I can more confidently look at my test results to see if the test was either too easy or too difficult. I have also found that students are honest--they will tell you whether the test you gave them really was a true measurement of their learning. The longer I teach, the more I respect their perception of what is happening in the classroom, especially in regard to the effectiveness of my instruction.
I do that the first few times I use a test to make sure the questions are good ones to ask.
I agree. Essay tests are effective at demonstrating the students understanding of the material, requiring critical thinking and the ability to apply the material to real life settings.
