Pre testing gives me an idea of the skill level of the student, and at the same time I save that test to show students how much they have improved by the end of the term.
pretesting gives you an idea if you need to reteach the material and also where the class stands with the material being taught
My "Pre-Test" is actually a Student Interest Inventory. It helps me to draw upon student interests and experiences when I present examples.
Hi Jenni,
Yes - this is one of the primnary reasons we might want to consider pre-testing.
Barry Westling
I often use pretests in the Math classes I teach. This pretest gives me foundation to which to build off of. I can see where the students levels are in the beginning. from there, I can better develop my outline for the class.
By knowing each student and their base knowledge of the information, the teacher can construct a curriculum that will allow them to stay interested.
Hi Andrew,
Great. I don't use pretesting all the time, but like you, when I do, I try to determine where my emphasis in a class will be centered.
Barry Westling
Whenever I teach the electrical portion of our course I give the students a pretest the first day to see what thier background is and find out how much I need to spend on the basics before going into the more difficult segments.
Hi Amina,
Yep. Pretesting allows a teacher to learn where their incoming students are position regarding prior knowledge. Also, it can provide a glimpse of "coming attractions" that may assist some students in their personal preparation.
Barry Westling
Hi Amina,
What you're asking is really a question for your institution or academic affairs. However, as far as practicality, I would say yes, try it, and see how beneficial it turns out.
Barry Westling
this way if there is a small percentage of students who will need extra help could be recognized very early on,good way to screen your students before starting the course in full swing.
I like Marina's idea,I am going to try this in my next class in jan 2012,my question is ,could we give this type of info to the students when they come for their orientation?just to let them know that there will be a pretest on day one,so if they have any questions/concerns ,I would be able to answer.
Hi Sara,
To move forward, we need to know where we're at to begin with, and pretesting is a perfect way to determine where our emphasis in the class is needed (or not needed).
Barry Westling
Pretesting has really helped me in teaching my class. That way I know what my students know and what they need to work on. It makes planning very easy. For the students, they know what to expect when they come to class. They are not neverous and are ready to learn.
I agree with Jeff, our classes are 5 week long with a lot of material to cover, the pretest is a good way to assess how fast paced each topic should be,without compromising the course material.
Hi Libi,
Yes, it can do that. Also o0f course, it can illuminate what they don't know, which allows the instructor to begin to customize the class based on the specfic and essential conteals that will need addressing.
Barry Westling
Hi James,
I think pretesting can extremely helpful in planning my general delivery plan, and also determining specific areas that may need more or less emphasis, which will allow the available time to be used in the most productive way.
Barry Westling
Hi Alissa,
Right. We can plan better for where the our time and benefit to the student will be the most productive.
Barry Westling
This will help us identify what the student already knows.
Until now, I made the assumption that the school did a good job of screening students or requiring prerequisites. I have had some students not quite to the level as the remainder of the class. I will not make these assumptions any more. I am new to teaching and do need to learn these kinds of classroom skills to improve my delivery.I really like the concept of a pretest to find the skill levels in the class.
