Hi Charles:
Great! Pretesting can also help compare performance at the beginning vs the end of a course.
Regards, Barry
Pre-tests can not only give you an idea of students' pre-existing knowledge of the subject, but also can aid the student in self-assessing.
Once each student knows him/herself and the intructor has a clue about each of them, everyone can then make plans and goals for the individual course.
Pretests help me find out where my students stand on the material. I am able to evaluate what I need to focus on more so they retain the most important terms and information. I always encourage students to read on further for subjects they are studying but I want to get across the main points and thats where the pretests help out.
You can use pretests at the beginning of each semester to determine the level of competence and familiarity your students have with the subject and with writing/reading skills. As an English teacher, I've noticed that some of my students have a great challenge ahead of them because of their learning deficits; yet they have life experiences to share. Rather than having all of their assignments as written, I like to hear their voices in the classroom. Having a pretest also helps students know that I am listening to their needs and trying to take them into account.
For each chapter taught, a pretest before the master exam can really help students know their strengths and weaknesses. So, in turn, they may ask questions to clarify their knowledge base as well.
Pretesting is an asset to both students and teachers.
Barry,
I agree it helps me evaluate strenths & weaknesses of students - so when I make lesson plans - I have a guidepost for helping me teach them subject matter!
CJS
Hi Aylee:
Also, pretesting can compare beginning vs. ending student progress, preparation for a give test or final exam, even the teachers effectiveness at presenting a topic.
Regards, Barry
Pretest helps students and instructors identify student's weakness and strenght. Also, it helps both students and instructors which material needs more study or reinforcement.
Hi Kristine:
If students know their going to take a test, but not receive a grade, they'll probably welcome the opportunity.
Outcomes include comparison from beginning of term to end of term, instructor assessment of their teaching, making adjustments if needed, preparing for major tests, and assessing performance of different teachers, among other benefits.
Regards, Barry
Hi David:
Great reason for chossssing to do a pretest. We are the subject matter experts (SME), and we became that through education, training, varied work experiences, certifications, and life experiences. We couple these with a passion to teach and provide the resources to deliver, and you have a formula for success.
As you say, the students have not had the benefit of these combinations of success-directed pasts. It's only natural that we would want to know where our students stand in their understanding. Also, reading some of the other posts in this forum provide numerous other great reasons to pretest.
Regards, Barry
Pretesting can help to gage the level of the classroom. Academically so you as the instructor can alter or tailor you delievery. Manu adult students have not studied or read a text book in quite a while.
Hi Jessica:
Yes, these are good reasons for pretesting. Also, comparing performance at the beginning of a class to that at the end of a course shows both teacher and student what progress may have occurred. But mainly, it helps a teacher modify their curriculum (if needed) based on the areas that need more emphasis , as identified by the pretesting exercise.
Regards, Barry
Hi Cornelius:
Yes, we might find the median or average group performance and that can assist the teacher prepare for their class better.
Pretests can be very short or more comprehensive. They can be done before a major exam to see where work is still needed. They can help clarify what's about to be taught to measure the degree of learning afterwards.
So, there is really quite a lot of benefit and reasons for considering doing these tests.
Regards Barry
I think pretesting is a great opportunity for courses in the beginning of the students field of study plan. I have had several classes at the beginning where students are more knowledgable than I would anticipate due to different life experiences. Also, it would help you teach the information by relating the material to knowledge they already have.
Especially at the Career College level, our students may not have the previous educational experience needed. It is important to remember that our education as an instructor was probably very different from the education that our students have experienced. For this reason, we need to pretest to see what they know and what they have not been taught. Whether its key concepts or vocabulary, the class will run much more smoothly if you have an idea of where your students actually are when you begin the class.
The purpose of the pretest is to determine the average level of competense of the class. The pretest helps the instructor develop course material that is at the appropriate level of rigor for the class. The pretest allows the instructor to identify the areas of strengths and the areas of weakness the students have. The idea is to reinforce the areas of strengths and to improve the areas of weakness.
Hi Robby:
Very clear message here! Enrollment standards "should" prevent this imbalance but many schools have very minimal enrollment standards. I can deny an enrollment, but I always give the student a plan to define what's needed for them to return as a fully prepared applicant. When I'm honest and forthright, most understand, albeit, are simutaneouly disappointed.
Regards, Barry
Hi Yolanda:
Pretesting offers teacheres several benefits, not least among them is the abilty for the instructor to tailor their planning lessons around the strengths (or weaker areas)and put more emphasis there.
Regards, Barry
It will allow you to meet your students bend.
Lets Be honest not all students that come to your class belong there. if a student has a major language barrier then a pretest will solve and avoid any confusion of whether that student belongs in your class. pretests can help the student more than the teacher because it would be sad to drop the student from the class in the middle of the semester due to lack of a minor skill that can play a major role.
Hi John:
Well, there are different reasons a teacher might use a pretest. One way (I believe the way you describe) is to take a pretest before the real test to see what areas still need work. That works, and does help students study weaker areas. (caution that it souldn't be the same test).
Another planning use is at the very beginning of a course to see what areas may be needed that require more emphasis than previsously planned, so adjustments can be made in the lesson planner to accomodate the tweaking.
Another use is to compare learning progress early on and then again near the end.
Yet another use is comparing how different teachers evaluate their students, in other words, how similar are they, do they tend to rate the same way or vary widely. Pretestings can held define these similarities or differences.
Regards, Barry
