What I have learned is T/F or multiple choice will help the students get into the correct mind frame ,then they will not over think the situation.
Tracy
Hello Barry,
With the use of ongoing performance based testing I think we can judge early on if the student is learning or do we need to ajust the how the information is being presented. By using industry standards for evaluating we are now setting the student up for success.
Hi Rose:
These are all great reasons. In addition, you may also allow the student the chance to make changes in study habits as soon as possible, possibly facilitating a more successful outcome at the end of the course.
Regards, Barry
Hi Melissa:
In support of your statements, one of the valuable things about performing assessments on a regular basis is that it allows the student a chance to make changes in study habits as early as possible which may help facilitate a more successful outcome in the end of the course.
Regards, Barry
So they can perform the skills proficiently in their career
Without different types of evaluations, an instructor has no indication how and what a student is learning.
I feel that evaluating the students gives everyone, students and the instructor the knowledge of what is actually being gained from the course. The students can see what they feel they are not getting or have not been taught enough on and the instructors get feedback that e=lets them know the areas they can improve on.
I use my tests as to figure out what areas need more attention. Theres always at least one.
I think that many can learn from their mistakes and also keep doing what they are doing right with feedback from the instructor.
Students need to know how they did on a particular assignment, thus we have grades. Assessment of learning is critical to aid the instructor in where the student is lacking so more support/emphasis can be provided in order to help the student achieve their goals in learning. Unfortunately, the perspective from a student point of view is to always get an A, but in reality, if they came into the class as an all around A student, they really do not need the class. We are all there to learn and grades provide that mechnism to establish the level of learning accomplished. This helps the instructor to adjust the lessons to fit with the specific needs of that particular student, or group of students.
Evaluating students 1)allows the instructor to see if the students are learning the core information in the course 2)provides feedback to the instructor if he/she is effectively presenting information to the students 3) provides a means for assessing the amout of information learned by the students
Hi Daniel:
Most effectively, we would evaluate our students and provide immediate feedback that would help the student see the need for changes in study habits to help create more successful outcomes at the end of the course.
Regards, Barry
Hi Vicki:
Correct! And, by combining evaluation with quick feedback, we can allow the student to assess their progress as they go through the course, and make changes in study habits as soon as possible.
Regards, Barry
To see where students stand in understanding course material collectively and individually. This gives the instructor a chance to change the teaching style with the types of learners where necessary.
Dr. Westling: You are so right. On the last day of class/or at midterm time I sometimes take the students aside and go through the tests, assignments and see where they had problems. Sometimes it helps them to avoid them in the future!
Terry: You are so right that teacher evaluations are helpful. They let us know how WE are doing. Whether we need to change an approach, be more humorous, less strict, more media, less media etc.
Dr. Westling: It allows us to know whether they have retained the information we have been teaching.
I feel that an evaluation of a student is a good way to evaluate myself. If a large majority of the class is not passing or has low scores, it is most likely something to do with my instructing or my exams.
If a few students are not doing well, then I know to back up and maybe approach them in a different way. Maybe they have different learning styles than the other students.
Evaluation is also a good way to make sure the student is learning what they need to know to apply in the work place.
I think the best and probably the sole reason why we should evaluate students is so they will know the how well they are doing and the progress they are making in the course. It is almost a universal human characteristic for us to know how well we are doing in an endeavor, and our students are no exception. Everyone wants to know how well they are doing and course evaluations provide that.
I think another reason for student evaluations is to provide them a gauge on how well they grasp the material of the course. Some students will only grasp the basics, while others will far exceed what you consider to be an adequate knowledge base. Students should know how much of the material they have grasped, and what is a basic knowledge versus superior knowledge.
I think another reason for student evaluations is to prepare them for the real world. This is especially true for career colleges. Evaluations are part of any job. Advancement is often contingent on a good evaluation. Once students enter their career fields, they will be evaluated, so school should prepare them for that inevitability.
Another reason is if students want to transfer to another college or university or continue on to graduate school. Here, their course evaluations will be vitally important. Often GPA is a huge factor in determining admission and placement. That's probably why evaluating students fairly is so important.
To conclude, I believe the prime reason why evaluation is so important is to give students a measure of progress and success in a course and how well they have grasped the course information.
Jon:
I agree. If the student knows how they are progressing they can make adjustments to the study habits or arrange for a tutor to improve their progress.
