Using pretests as planning tools
How can a pretest help you with your instructional planning?
I administer a grammar pre-test in my English composition course to help me determine how much review I need to do at the beginning of the course. I really like the idea of giving the final at the beginning of the course so the students can actually see the progress they've made.
I use pretests throughout my course to get a sense of student preparation. It reduces my lecture time, increases time on problem areas during lecture, and maximizes time on task in my labs.
Nancy,
Pretests don't have to be elaborate or particularly comprehensive. Even just going around the room, asking selected questions of students at random will provide a generalized overview of where the class seems to be.
Barry Westling
I understand that pretesting is a great way to see what background information the students have to build upon. My question is.. when teaching in a very accelerated school, how do you incorporate the findings from the pretest into an already faced paced curriculum?
A pretest will help the instructor get a feel of where the students stand with their understanding of material.
The pretest helps the instructor to determine what the students already know in regards to certain topics.It can give you a baseline of your students knowledge.
The pretest gives the instructor the idea of where the students, as a class, are as related to the material. It helps develope the lesson plan and delivery of the course.
I have to agree with pretesting. At the start of a new class I find it beneficial to test prior knowledge. This is especially true if the previous class was a prerequisite
Merralinda,
Good for you. Instructors who follow this example usually find they save time, and are able to better zero in on their target audience.
Barry Westling
Manuel,
Great! Your students should benefit from this instructional activity, leading to better student outcomes.
Barry Westling
Using the results of a pretest can help me to gage the planning for lectures and help me determine what demonstrations,drawings,media I might need to add to get students to fully understand the content.
I believe pretest help the student retain the information tremendously, it gives them a preview of what to expect in the course. I like to administer the pretest then give the test again at the end of the session, so students can see what they have retained.
Pretests can be a great asset if used properly and for the right reasons. You can really learn a lot about the student from these tests.
MacDameon,
For sure. Fine tuning a class helps instructors achieve better student outcomes, and one way to fine tune is based on results from a pretest.
Barry Westling
Pretest are helpful not only for the students level of learning and skill sets, but it also gives the instructor/teacher thee ability to properly assess the class as a whole.
Valerie,
Yes, just as when at completion of a course we want to measure learning, pretesting gives us a sense of readiness to begin instruction, or progress made in that pursuit.
Barry Westling
Pretesting gives us an understanding of the student's knowledge and skill set in the field of study. As an instructor it is good to have an understanding of the student's level of learning so that they are not presented with material that is too advanced or not challenging enough. Pretests helps the instructor to be cautious about the material that is being selected and their chosen methods of delivery. In so doing, we set our students up for success rather than failure.
Jason,
Yes, and I have found most students don't mind taking this kind of assessment...one that isn't graded!
Barry Westling
