I currenty teach and am a Program Director for a Dental Assisting program. I have also ever given a pretest. What a great idea. I also ask students questions 1st day but the strucutre of a pretest will give me more meat on how to prepare and present to the class. I am excited to see how this works.
The pretest can help with my instructional planning by providing valuable feedback that will help me improve my instructional method to benefit the students academic need.
The pretest will also give me feedback on the students level of background experience. I can review the assessment and provide the instruction the student need and gear it towards
a level that will be comfortable for them without comprimising the integrity of knowledge base.
Vernise Walker
I have to utilize pretest when teaching math classes; incoming students may have barely passed the entrance exams for class placement and skills will need to be reviewed before we can get into the more complex course content.
If this is not done, students will become frustrated and just give up. This can lead to serious retention issues. To keep the students engaged who did well on the entrance exam I involve them in work on the board or show them shortcuts that may be new to them as well.
This also then sets up my lesson plans for the next week.
I have never used a pretest either but I DO ask my students on the first day if they've ever had a class like mine before and ask about what they hope to learn. But I'm thinking about actually pretesting to get a better idea of what they already know. I also have the difficult task of teaching students who should have a pre=req but don't.
Many of my students have not had the benefit of college prep courses in high school. Sadly, I have students writing on a fifth grade level. When I first started teaching a college-level course, I went into class thinking that my students were at a college level, but I was wrong. Now, I give my students a writting assignment the first week of class. It helps me to determine at what level my students perform. From that point own, I know how to make the class meaningful to them.
Hi Ralph:
And, pretests are alos a great way to show you what ways your students learn and understand content, something that can then be put to use when making lesson plans.
Regards, Barry
Hi Victoria,
Try it. You'll be surprised how much your experience will increase in knowing your students better and or needs.
Hi Sandie:
Depending on how you run the pretest, it might also be a nice tool to show you what kind of student learner you have, which can help the instructor make more effective lesson plans.
Regards, Barry
Hi Terry:
Also, we can take evaluation feedback from the test, and help to point out to students what they should focus on prior to each lesson.
Regards, Barry
Hi Sandy:
These tools might also help you see what kind of student learner you have, which can help make for more effective lesson plans.
Regards, Barry
Hi Carly:
Pretest can also show you what kind of learner your student is, making lesson plans more effective from that information as well.
Regards, Barry
Pretest can help you with your instructional planning because you are familiare with what level your students are on. Thus keeping you from teaching over their heads or beneth them, which in it self causes the student not to focus and become disruptive.
Hi Barry,
Yes, I use it for feedback on how much the students know on the topic being presented. It's a very helpful tool to prepare for teaching.
Hi Heather:
In addition, these tools can show you what kind of learner your student is, which can make for more effective lesson planning.
Regards, Barry
pre test help by giving the instructor a good indication of what the base knowledge of the class is. this information can be used to plan the course and get an idea of what need to be covered in grater detail
After going through this part of the class, I realize that using pretests might be a very good idea. Several times, students seem not to grab the material presented. I do believe that pretesting at random times through the semester, would give me an idea exactly where the students are standing in the learning process.
I teach an introductory course, and I find that a pretest at the beginning of the course helps me understand what kind of learners I have in class, and how I can custom the class to that particular set of learners. When the course is completed, we do the same "pretest" again, and the students are able to see the progress that they've made.
I believe a pre test and post test is very helpful in planning. This gives you an idea of where each student is at in the learning process. It also allows you to know which student may need additional help through out the course.
I have not implemented this approach in my classes but sounds very interesting. It offers a temperature ck on where to begin and how to flow with material to be covered. Does anyone have sample tests they have used? I teach dental assisting.
I have never thought to do this but I do think this is a GREAT idea and I do plan on giving it a try! Thanks.
