Identifying Student Knowledge
What are some ways you can identify what your students know or don't know about the course content?
I also conduct a pretest, which also happens to be the final examination. Accordingly, I have pre-posttest scores that can statistically (albeit simple statistics) that learning has occurred. I have three years worth of data for all my criminal justice and human services assistant courses.
I will normally give them a pre-test prior to starting the first class. Then I will go around the class and ask key questions on the subject matter. I then have a pretty good idea of what they know or do not know. Do you have some other ideas?
I have informal conversations and sometimes quiz to determine knowledge level. I don't put them under the gun with a formal as to reduce their getting nervous. that way they are giving an open and honest answer.
What are some good types of questions when debriefing a class after an activity or presentation?
There are many different ways but some are oviously more effective than others. Home work questions, quizzes, exams, labs based on lecture conent. I personally like to bring my student into lab and once they see a technicsl skill preformed then try it for the first time a little ligh bulb goes off on top of their head and they get a huge smile on their face because they just got it.
One way that works well is to have a pretest. This can test prior knowledge. You can also get a general base of prior experiences through introductions.
One way to identify what the students know or don't know about the course content is via tests. This could include pre-test (before the material is covered to understand what the student knows before the material is taught), progress test(testing of material in intervals to see the progress of the students learning the material, and final test(testing all the material to see how well the student has learned the material and whether they are able to tie everything the learned cumulatively together and apply it).
I like to have the students shared their background experience and knowledge with course. Then, I go over the course topic by asking them general questions using the course objectives and material to find out addition information about their knowledge.
I was just discussing this with another instructor the other day. She said she was being told to turn in here lesson plans for her courses. I asked her how she could do that before making a baseline assessment of your class. Her response was that is was coming form the powers above.
When I start a class,I introduce myself as a Ph.D. in Biomedical Physiology, but I explain to them they do not have to call me Dr.Smith, Mrs. Smith is fine, as long as they don not say hey you...little humor. I then go into a brief discussion of my, 15 year, back ground of being a technician, graduate student, post-doctoral fellow, etc., to demonstrate that everything a growing process.
I then hand out 3x5 cards to everybody. I ask them, what they would like to be called, what program of study they are in, how far along are they in their program,and slyly ask them if they have taken certain course already. An example of this is, have they taken Medical Terminology, when I am instructing Anatomy and Physiology. Next I ask them what subjects the like or dislike, what are their hobbies, what are they afraid of (most common, snakes and spiders), and where do they see themselves 5 years from now (what are the end goals).
These give me a pretty good idea of what level I need to start the class from. As mentioned in the lesson, the middle ground, usually wins out.
the pre-test is a great idea that I will be using in the future
As with others in this discussion I give a pre-test during the first lecture. I have the advantage of knowing what the students know or have been taught since I teach them the required course to enable them to take the present course. I also take 15 to 20 minutes for them to stand and tell a story or their work as it relates to the subject matter in the course...in this case emergency medicine.
Albert,
This is a great way to encourage student engagement. I also find that participation is contagious, and that more students become comfortable when they see their classmates participating in a discussion.
Tremayne Simpson
At the begining of a class subject like costing menu items i give the students a pretest and walk them through the results labeling each calculation as I go. this becomes the reference sheet or road map that each student can use for subsequent menu item costings. Each time we field the questions in each area i find student participation is essential. One way i find very effictive is giving the students the chance to explain in their own words how they attained the correct answer.Their discussion creates a supportive environment that leads to greater comfort when dealing with "math" reasoning which is a tense subject from the outset.
Yolanda,
This is a great example of an informal, diagnostic assessment. Students tend to be more candid in the responses (regarding prior knowledge), when it is not communicated that they are being "tested".
Tremayne Simpson
I have a few questions for my students before we get into the lesson. I can see if the students have read before class and I can see if they have a level of prior knowledge of the content.
I know many people have suggested the use of a pre-test. What about the use of a "pre-discussion" board and question instead? Start a conversation about a topic and play "20 questions." Students have learned how to take tests but it is almost impossible to "learn" how to do a discussion board if you do not understand the topic being asked about.
-Chris
I have been using a pretest into my first day of class as an evaluation tool to discover a students knowledge level. I ensure that the students understand that the y understand it is not a graded quiz. When I explain that the quiz helps me make the class better for them they like the fact that they are being heard.
A pretest is the best best to discover what the student already know.
It can help provide you with valuable information for lesson planning.
I like to use PreTests and also play games! I feel this helps to see what they know, and how much they can retain.
