Assessing Student Learning Needs
What are some ways you can assess student learning needs?
Before every section I give students a pre test. This helps them assess the areas they need the most work in. I also have a practice post test set up so they can see how they are doing before the take the actual post test for credit.
I will also have students take a pre-test on the first day of my class. It usually will cover information that was taught the previous term. It helps me gauge at what level are the students retaining the information being taught from term to term.
I hold weekly one on ones with my students. Keeping that open line of communication will make it easier for them to open up and tell you if they are struggling in certain areas. I will also ask a lot of questions during a lecture or discussion. I also believe pretest and review helps in the assessment of student learning needs.
Patricia,
this is an excellent idea as it can provide that platform of a beginning spot.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Reshona,
this is a great way to provide the low risk environment for them to perform.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Giving a pretest, and then monitoring their progress in class as you go along.
pretesting, and beginning each lecture with having students discuss past learning difficulties
I regularly use do now assignments or play games to test the retention of the information without having the students feel as though how they perform will make or break them.
Miriam,
this is a good idea as it helps see what really helps the students the most.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I usually do the same. I give my students a short essay to write on what the subject matter means to them before the course initially gets under way. This gives me a barometer on what each student might know or perceive of the subject matter in order that I can structure the material for each students success.
Constant observation even open book testing. I will even place students on a rotation beside each other to see if another student can aid and get through even with areas I can not.
Formative and summative assessment are beneficial;I would say formative assessments for ELL students, as well as other diverse learners. Some students do not do well on tests, so a better type of assessment would be observations, portfolios, or checklists.
Jacci,
yes, this can help you make the needed adjustments to your course to really help the students be successful.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I appreciate what one of the videos in this course said, that assessment should be less about evaluating students and more about asking ourselves how we are going to help students succeed. Still, we need some way of knowing where students are in order to help take them as far as they can go. pretests are one way to determine student need. One strategy i like to use on the very first day of class is to have the students complete a "cold write" in which they tell me anything and everything they want me to know about themselves, especially anything I might need to know in order to help them be successful in y English class. This task serves (at least) two purposes: I can begin to establish a relationship with my students that is critical for success, and I can also determine their skill level in terms of spelling, grammar, etc. i can even correlate a reading level based on this assignment.
Jacci Rizzo
I feel you can assess a students learning needs simply by observing how they interact in the class. Usually I have found that the kids that are having issues learning tend to be more introverted and don't want to ask for help because they are embarrassed.
Gabriel,
this is a great idea. It can help you know if you can move on or if you need to review certain portions.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
One way is to have informal mini quizzes (not part of the final grade) at the end of class to check for understanding. These mini quizzes will help monitor student progression. Also, the informal mini quiz will give the student's an opportunity to check the progress in a "relaxed" environment.
Lisa,
this is an excellent idea to give you a level set on the entire class.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I like the fact the with each of our courses we offer a pretest to see if the students have retained any knowledge of previous material. This helps us to see the areas we need to focus more in as we start new topics or subjects.
