Hi Joseph,
Perfect! That's the benefit an instructor receives from pretesting ( or whatever it may be labled).
Barry Westling
I have a pretest for my course every three weeks as it is a start of a new course cycle.
This helps me to know were I have to start my class
There are usually pre-requisites to the HVAC courses that I present. Pretesting, or, Intro-testing, as I call it, gives me a pretty fair "Bead" on the "Who got what" from the pre-requisite course. Knowing the depth of that course, allows me to gain insight into both, the students' knowledge-base, and their application of the previous course, towards "Where" we are headed. It also sheds light on those students that are going to require a different methodology in order for them to be able to absorb & "Use" the new material.
it make you more aware of the students weak and strong points.
Hi Jackie:
Pre-tests can also help you guage how the students learn best which can help the instructor create more effective lesson plans.
Regards, Barry
Hi Alnita,
I use pretesting to assess the whole class as sort of snap-shot where they are performing as a class. Then, I can adjust where more (or less) emphasis may be needed to use my time wisely and not waste time on material students have existing proficiency.
Barry Westling
It definitely helps because it allows the instructor to focus on the weaknesses of students that need more help along with tutoring.
Hi Mitessa,
I base my pretests on the specific course. I usually have 2-4 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO's), and maybe 15-25 course objectives. Buried in these are basic principles that I will want the students to have by course end. So I may create 20-25 questions, less if essay style, to assess basic understanding of key objectives. From that, I get a good sense about where students are coming into the course.
Barry Westling
So how many questions and what testing format do you use?
Hi James:
These can also help show you how your students learn, which can help you create more effective lesson plans.
Regards, Barry
Hi Rochelle,
Great! Also, it may be that say a small group of students are way below the class average. This may signal that remediation, tutoring, or special times can be planned for these students to help keep them up to speed with the remainder of the class.
Barry Westling
Hi Billy,
My best experience with pretesting is more of a one-time event for a given class. These could be done before and after every chapter but I doubt that many classes allow that much time (unless it was done as low-point based homework assignment). As a one-time event, I write the questions in broader terms to find where my class is at overall based on the material I'm going to present over the entire course. If a majority of students do well in one or more areas, it may help me decide I can shift the curriculum where less emphasis is placed on that material since it appears they already are familar with the subject matter. Pretesting is a tool, and I think we should only use a tool when a job calls for it. So it's OK to do it for some classes, and not others.
Barry Westling
In the classroom, every minute is precious. It is better to know where your students stand at the beginning of the quarter (in terms of knowledge of the subject) than to find out 2 or 3 classes in that they don't understand anything you are teaching! This will help the instructor plan out their lessons more efficiently. They can do more reviews and bring the class up to par.
Do you compose your pretest?
I am currently designing a pre and post test for my students. For a brief period, I used textbook and other materials from Pearson. They have an excellent one on their web-site. Now, we are using McGraw-Hill, and I will need to develop one. Does anyone have experience designing these tests for English?
Hi Timothy,
I agree having advanced students assist the instructor is helpful. It gives the advanced students a boost in their confidence. And weaker students usually relate to "one of their own", and are not resistive to getting assistance from a class member.
Barry Westling
Hi Ty,
Pairing students based on performance level is effective. Variations include having a stronger student lead a group of weaker students, or separating students by "got it down" to "have no idea". In this case the students in each group are functioning closer to their unique peer group and progress at the pace that ensures they will learn the couse content, maybe just at a different level than others.
Barry Westling
Hi Marlena,
Most certainly! The use of the pretest would be less than effective if the students were not informed how they performed and correct answers provided. I like to call these "previews of coming attractions", and in that analogy, students can anticipate information they will be receiving, and sometimes this defuses angst about the difficulty of a topic.
Barry Westling
Hi Billy,
I think an English class would be ideal for doing even a short pretest, since this is one area students are likely to have many varying levels of proper skills prior to beginning the class.
Barry Westling
By using a pretest an instructor will be able to develop a sense as to where the students are coming from. Granted there will be some outlyers but the majority of the class will fit into a set group or groups. At this point the instructor can plan the course. The question then becomes, what to do with the outlyers. Those who too advanced in there learning process the instructor may want to use them as assistants in the class. In the Army we have what is called a "see one, do one, teach one" method. The instructor could use the more advanced individuals as demonstrators, first walking them through the steps, having them do it and then go help and teach it. This could also be useful for the individuals in the far opposite group as well. This method may be helpful in teaching the individual subject.
