Hi Carolyn:
Great. I don't pretest all that frequently. It can be helpful when needed, then that's when I'll prepare something.
Regards, Barry
Hi Keelan:
Pretesting takes a little time, but in many cases is worth the effort. It can reveal where emphasis is needed and/or can be passed over as students are knowledgeable about some lesson fragments.
Regards, Barry
pretesting allows you to know exactly where you are with your students and know how you will develope your instructions on the folloeing course. pretesting will help you research exactly what it is you want to teach that cerrtain student student
Pretesting can help with instructional planning by allowing insight to the level of learning of each student.
Hi Kelly:
I say, "whatever works". These lessons are directed at many different kinds of teachers and classes, so ideas are bound to vary.
For pretesting is effective for the teacher when getting a sense of what students already know is considered of value.
Regards, Barry
After studying this module I see the value of a pretest. I believe for my class type a "puzzle" style matching information or fill in from a word bank test would be a good fit.
Hi Cheryl:
Great idea - reinforcing previously learned material is extremely valuable, and conducting a pretest can identify what gems of learnining are pertinent.
Regards, Barry
Hi Quebec:
Great. I think whenever I'm unsure where students are, especially at the begining of a term or new session, a pretest gives me a glimpse into what areas might need more emphasis, and therefore, avoids wasting time on information already possessed by students.
Regards, Barry
By pretesting your class, you have an understanding of the background knowledge these students come into your class with. As an instructor you do not want to lose students due to lack of understanding. Instead a pretest can help to determine if additional materials are needed in order to increase understanding, comprehension, and application.
It can tell me if everyone (or almost everyone) already has certain knowledge, in which case I can either skip that particular lesson or give that topic much less time. If the students already know how to do something, I don't need to teach it again, but perhaps I could do an activity in which they can apply that knowledge or skill.
I like this because, if used correctly, can be a fun way to dispel knowledge myths, yet focus on what level to present material to the class in general, and more so if an individual is not up to the knowlegde base of his/her peers.
This identifies what the weakness of the knowledge base is. Students making the transition from high school to college seem to have a lack of tools needed to perform at the freshman level in college.
The pretest can give you a basic idea of the knowledge base that you are dealing with. This can help one plan effectively for course delivery. I do caution the use in as much as some students may not take them seriously. This may give a false assessment of the knowledge base. Students must be made aware of the importance of taking these tests.
I use pretest to find out how much the students have learned about particular subjects; it lets me know what subjects I need to review again; and it lets the students know how much they have learned, also. The pretest is like a measuring line.
I've used a pretest for a math class I taught to give me an idea of the range and depth of the class ability. This would influence me to fit my lecture and exercises as close as I can to the class level.
I like using pretests as planning tools. It helps me identify where students need more help.
Pretests let me adjust my lesson plans based on overall weak areas of the students. By knowing these weak points in advance I can be sure that I emphasize them in my lessons to help them succeed.
A pretest can be very useful as a tool to determine where your students are when a course begins. Although there are prerequisites for all of the courses I teach I find that not all students have finished the prerequisites with the same "degree" of success so I find that I must often alter my course plan in order to reach all of my students. The pretest is one way to find out where each student is. I sometimes use the same "pretest" midway through in order to find out how much information has "stuck."
Hi Robert:
I've used pretesting when I begin a new topic that requires prerequisite knowledge to understand the new information. I learn what areas might need review, emphasis, or skipped over. Altogether, I try to avoid wasted time on material students already know.
Regards, Barry
I don't currently use a pretest, although I do see the merit in employing this method. My students come to me with varying degrees of background knowledge in their chosen field. Some actually have no prior experience or exposure. It's tough to balance the need to impart the necessary information to these students while not losing the more knowledgeable to boredom.
