Pretest can help student by preparing the students on what to expect on the actual test as well aiding with studying.
Hi Eric:
Right! And it's a great planning tool to decide where adjustments may be needed. They also give a bit of insight into what's in store for the students. Getting a preview is often an advantage for rightly motivated students.
Regards, Barry
Hi Frank:
I think every class occassionly has high and lower performers, and as teachers, we're presented with challenges of how to teach to diverse groups with wide ranges of ability. I just have to resign myself to the fact that, for whatever reasons, these students are expected to attend my class.
My approach is "if they know the material, put them to work". When I've had exceptional students, and the activity is a discussion or group activity, I separate the high performers into their own group, and they get a more challenging exericse or topic.
A related activity is to have the brighter students help the ones needing more attention. Most of the time, both student mentor and student(s) needing help appreciate the assistance from one of their own. And it may produce additional satisfaction for the helper students to know they're able to use their ability in a productive way.
Regards, Barry
Pretests allow me understand where they are currently, and what the students need help with.
What do you do in situations that people score 90 - 100% on the pre-test. I teach a fundamental math class and every term I find 2 or 3 students (out of 70+) that really don’t need the class. Giving the pre-test and having them do great on it could just strengthen their argument that they don’t need the class and shouldn’t have to take it even though they didn’t pass the entrance exam.
Hi Alexander:
You've provided one of the better examples of pretesting in action. Certainly, you want to match similar player abilities together and apart from those that may need extra work. Great example.
Regards, Barry
This is great way to let the instructor know what really needs to be honed in on for the student. I teach Music Theory, by using a pretest I can quickly evealuate the class and decide where I need to start and what I really need to spend more time on.
Hi Gina:
There's always a variety of ways pretesting can assist make a class better. I had not thought of using results to assit me pair up students. Great idea!
Regards, Barry
Hi Robert:
Yes, and the more we can determine where they may be general weaknesses in the whole class, or even specific student deficiencies, the better our planning for improved student outcomes will result.
Regards, Barry
Hi Andrew:
Perfect example of determining what's needed to make the class run smoother for you, and assit the students to perform better.
Regards, Barry
Hi Tom:
Right - pretesting does help the teacher plan. And students end up with better outcomes as the result.
Regards, Barry
By pretesting on the first day you can ascertain common problem areas within the class and determine what to focus on in the next few classes. You may find you can skip some intro points or start add some more basic topics to get the class as a whole caught up. You may also find that pairing certain students up with eachother could be helpful - and the pretests will help you as an instructor find who you will put in each group.
By enabling me to assess the skill level and learning needs of the students.
I teach an Economics course and pre-tests help me guage the mathemathical backgrounds of the students. I find I usually have to take some time out of class for an algebra and graphing review.
Using a pretest can direct the instructors attention to what areas students need to focus on. The course could take a completely different direction than had originally been planned for.
Hi Mike:
I'm sure you've found there can be great diversity in prior learning, academic background, and general knowledge. I can see where your reliance on something after enrollment that helps you find how you can best teach your students is valued.
Regards, Barry
At our school, there are no entrance requirements, so pretests are a key strategy for our faculty to gauge the widely varied educational levels of the various students grouped together in one classroom. This helps the instructor teach more effectively to each student, tailoring content and delivery for maximum effectiveness.
Hi Tracy:
Good comments. Although these take a little extra time to produce, I think the benefits can be quite dramatic. They don't have to be graded, no names have to be used, the don't have to be done for every class, and they don't have to be extensively comprehensive. Although, the more information assessed will yied more complete and useful information.
Regards, Barry
Hi Sandra:
Great summary of one purpose of pretesting.
Another version some teachers use is when they want to compare the accuracy of teacher rating students. For instance, how likely is it that say, 5 different teachers were to ask the same questions of a class, how close would their assessments be. This is called inter-rater reliability, and using a pretesting model is often how that is accomplished.
More commonly, pretesting helps the teacher plan tweaks in their curriculum to better suit their current students.
Regards, Barry
I beleive that pretests are a wonerful way to see where the students are and what I need to "hit" on. It allows me to plan for the quarter and know what material I need to spend more time on. I also beleive it allows the students to let the instructor know where they are at with the material and also what they would like to spend more tinme on. I also agree that it is a good idea for the tests to be "no named". I think if you have not done a pretest as an instructor, you should try it and see if it will benefit your class!
Thanks,
Tracy
