Pretest
Pretests are a good tool to help identfy weak students.
Hi Kim:
Great point and observation. I agree one of the reasons for doing pretesting is the evaluation of our curriculum, teaching or delivery style, or those of other faculty teaching the same curriculum.
Regards, Barry
Pre-testing also help identify shortcomings in our own teaching techniques and course contents. If you consistently find that new students coming in do not grasp the concept, it is a good indication that your course material is not on the same level as the previous classes that they have taken. It is a good idea then to re-evaluate the way we present the material.
Hi David:
Pretests can be simple or more comprehensive - the teacher really can decide. But what they can do is reveal something about the class the teacher is about to facilitate, and maybe realize there needs to be more focus or emphasis on something unplanned by the teacher.
I also think the pretesting is not needed for every class. Some classes don't benefit much from the activity, and if the teacher is confined to a fixed curriculum, additional information regarding students ins't going to change anything.
Regards, Barry
I believe that pretests need or ought to be done as a prerequisite for entry into "profit" oriented post eductation, not for each class. Say, there is 6 maybe 8 classes, how effective is this pretest. By the time the students reach the sixth class...It will be lacking luster, or its effectiveness.
Hi Pricilla:
There are may varieties of pre-tests, and they don't have to be composed like a test. There could be a few essay questions, a written statement on what the student expects from the class, etc. I think the idea is to assist the teacher in planning how best to get the information across - and there are many ways to achieve that.
Regards, Barry
i find it hard to do a pretest due to students feel it is more like a let down if they dont do good other than just an assessment or a possible introduction to new information
Hi Barb:
I think you've made a good pont. You are coming at this question from an admission perspective.
I think where pretesting is valuable is at the beginning of a course when the teacher still has some time to adjust their future lesson plans a bit in response to the class's cumulative performance. It's a great planning tool for instructors. Students may like knowing what topics lay ahead and what they learn in the coming weeks too.
Regards, Barry
pretesting students should be done in all school environments because it can weed out the students who will not be a success in that particular field of their choice. Often times students pick a field because their friends are in the class or they thought it might be interesting because they heard about it from someone else. Once they get into the class, they find out it is not what they expected, yet they are too embarassed to quit or find another field. Pretesting would show them what their weaknesses are, and the difficulty they may encounter in a particular class. barb barritt-jarosch
Hi Dan:
Yes, many times we can identify where a student is weak. They can also be used by the teacher to assist them plan or adjust their curriculum based on student performance.
Regards, Barry
