Get Your Students Hired
"I swear I studied hard for this test, but when I received the test paper, my mind went blank!" Sound familiar?
To most students, announcing an upcoming test is more likely to cause them to panic than when one yells, "Fire!"
Test anxiety is common; even we instructors still experience it.
I tell my students that the first thing that they should do is to acknowledge that they have it, and that it is a natural response. What's important is for them to control it; otherwise, it will control them.
To some students, this advice is helpful; but others just refuse to do something about it.
I wish I could do more to help my anxious students. Your tips or suggestions will be very helpful.
Hi Michael,
Anxiety or angst, at it's root is fear. Fear of what? Each student's demon's are their own. But we can minimize much anxiety by kind and supportive encouragement, good preparation, and striving to convey we care about their performance, and their successfulness. When students sense we're rooting for them, that's got to take a ceratin amount of stress and weight off their shoulders.
Barry Westling
I used to suffer from extreme test anxiety. I don't remember who told me this, but I was told to study for the test (the night before), to the best of my ability, then sleep on the books. I don't know why but when I took the test the next day the anxiety was gone and I did well. This may have been a psychological ploy just to make me feel more at eased. but it worked. I tell my students to trust their instincts. they have learned more than they realize. Don't change the answers, unless you totally omitted an important word like "not", example; "Which component is not a part of the swing arm?". We tend to look over the little things. I point out to them that most of the time when they change the answer, they had the right one the first time. Once they recognize this, they seem to be more comfortable with the rest of the courses quizzes.
Hi Kara:
Few really like testing. Being prepared is one method that good students say reduces their anxiety. Sounds like your process works along the same lines.
Regards, Barry
Hi Stephen:
Interesting 4th chapter blues, I guess. Anyway, it seems if students are prepared and a good grasp of the material and know what to expect, that should help minimize unnecessary angst when it comes to tests.
A simple technique is to not call them tests, rather, assessment, or check for understnding update. Doesn't that just sound better that "you're going to take a test"?
Regards, Barry
I teach a career development course that is basically a life skills course and the fourth chapter is test taking skills. Unfortunately, there is a test after Chapter TWO. The SECOND time I taught the course, I spent twenty minutes going over that fourth chapter the day before the first test. It greatly improved student performance.
Test taking skills can be very key in alleviating test anxiety. Unfortunately there are students that know for a fact that they are bad at tests, and they just can't break out of their reality. When they are complaining or expressing their fear, I simply listen but don't subscribe to it. I speak about what can be done proactively so to speak.
I am lucky that in math books I teach I can direct students to the self tests that are very similar to the tests they will take.
Thanks, Ms. Dosado.
When I got my students to acknowledge that it's a natural thing to have test anxiety, they said it helped them to conquer it.
I also applied what you suggested--give them an easy first quiz just to give them confidence.
The best way I've found to help alleviate test anxiety is to replicate go over test taking strategies in the class and then to replicate and therefore help desensitize the test taking experience itself with practice test situations throughout the course.
TEST ANXIETY IS A UNIVERSAL PROBLEM, WHICH TRANSVERSES AFFECTS ALL POPULATIONS. AS AN INSTRUCTOR, I HAVE THIS "CONDITION" AND HAVE TRIED TO FIND A CURE FOR IT BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AS YET.
Test Anxiety is a real issue. Most of the time it is becuase either the student feels un-prepared or the instructor has not clearly explanined the learnig objectives for the class. Most of the time the student feels anxiety because their lack of preparation for a class test. There is no better feeling that walking into a test that you know you have fully prepared for.
I first find out what learning style works best for them. Then we develop a study plan that goes along with their learning style. Then we study together and then take a short quiz to show them how studying will reduce their anxiety.
Test anxiety is extremely common in math classes, especially if a considerable amount of time has lapsed since students' last math class. To alleviate this anxiety, I try to make sure that I point out possible test questions as we do class work. I also make sure that students have numerous supplemental material (i.e. online assistance, worksheets, cd tutorials, etc.) to assist them. Last but certainly not least, I highly encourage students to seek tutor help sooner than later. Once the first test comes and goes, students seem to be more comfortable with what to expect, but it still never hurts take the initiative and self-prepare as much as possible.
I offer my students a retake/alternate test. Just knowing they can retake the test seems to relax most of my students. I have had some students ask for retake but most (90-95%) do not need to retake the test.
It is easy for me to provide them with and alternate test because of the subject I teach (software applications) and most of my test are project based and over the years I have built up a large collection. I understand that in some areas retesting is not a viable option.
When students start my program I give each a course on helpful studying/test taking techniques to help them throughout the upcoming courses. I've been told from the students that it helps quite a bit.
-Jeff