Rosamond,
Is this activity provided on the first day of the course?
Tremayne Simpson
I have my students to write down fun facts about the course and careers related to the course.
Alan ,
I agree. Based upon my experience, smaller educational facilities can be a benefit for the students, due to the expanded amount of attention that they receive from the faculty.
Tremayne Simpson
On the first day of class I use a pretest to gauge the students on what they know about the particular subject that I am teaching. I also like to question the students and get their personal feedback on that subject. I try to get an understanding from their personal experiences of how much or how clearly they know the subject.
Our Teaching Facility is relatively small, so getting to know the students' and individual goals is useful. It's paramount to their backgrounds as boredom may set in on going over previously covered and known material. That said, of course levels will vary from student to student.
Kleinkauf,
As I mentioned in the previous post, I think that it is important to not label it as a "test". You can call it a "survey" or an "assessment of their prior knowledge", which would allow them to focus and avoid anxiety.Generally, I provide the assessment after a nice "ice breaker" activity and explanation of the syllabus, on the first day of the course.
Tremayne Simpson
Kleinkauf,
A pre-test can be an effective way to assess student knowledge of the subject, however I try to calm my students by informing them that it is not a "test" that will count towards their overall grade. If I did count it for credit, the students may begin the class with anxiety, which would could effect their course participation.
Tremayne Simpson
Kleinkauf,
This is a unique approach to "breaking the ice" with your students. I agree, students tend to become more candid (in their answers), once they have had an opportunity to participate in an entertaining activity. Generally, I try to schedule fun activities throughout the class term.
Tremayne Simpson
Germain,
I have taught evening classes as well and have found it to be difficult for the students to verbally engage with other students, during the first few class sessions. In addition to the suggestions that you have provided, I would also recommend creating an online discussion to gage prior student knowledge.
Tremayne Simpson
How do you introduce the pretest to the new students? And what is their reaction to getting a pretest on the first day?
I will add the pretest to my lesson plan, Its sound like a good way to realy know the students solid background.In the past, students would say that they had some experience with the course content, then after a test , I wonder.
Some ways I identify what my students know or don't know about the course content is to have them hit a beach ball around the room. The person who the ball goes to will say their name, background experience and hobbies.This activity puts a smile on the students faces and helps break the ice.
Pre-tests can work, for some classes, and review of the syllabus and course outline with a Q & A session is always a good idea. Small-group discussions focused on limited-scope scenarios can also work well. If students aren't open to talking right away (first nights of night classes can be rough, if students have been working all day and/or don't already know each other from other courses), 5-10 minutes of journal writing on those same limited-scope scenarios can help. That allows students to warm up to the subject on their own, before having to engage with others. It lets them start to get their ideas flowing. Then, the conversation is more revealing.
Donna,
This is a unique format for post-secondary institutions. From my experience, students that operate in cohorts are able to provide excellent peer motivation and work well in collaborative environments. Do you find this theory to be true in regards to your students?
Tremayne Simpson
Tremayne,
The students at my school work as cohorts and take their courses in block format.
Donna McCullough
Richard,
This sounds like a very effective activity. With this diagnostic quiz, once students find out the actual answers, they are forced to "unlearn" inaccurate preconceptions of law. From there, they can continue the class with an open mind.
Tremayne Simpson
Dale,
Once you have figured out the skill levels of your students, what methods do you use to create the desired environment ("stronger" students assisting the "weaker" students)? Is there ever a situation where a student feels that they may have been deemed as a "weaker" student? It is a delicate situation to handle as an instructor, because it could negatively effect the student's self concept.
Tremayne Simpson
I am a lawyer by training and teach in a paralegal program. One of my initial challenges is to convince students to stay open-minded about what the law is. Many students have pre-conceived notions, based on media or experiences of friends, etc. I have found that many of these pre-conceptions are simply wrong.
So, I put together a "quiz" based on very oddball laws and cases. We go around the class to discuss the laws/cases. This leads to laughs--because the laws/cases are truly "off the wall." It also encurages students to stay open-minded about what they think they know. Lastly, I can learn much about a student by the way they answer and by the type of vocabulary they use.
Participation earns a 100% on the quiz. As a follow-up, I ask them to pick one of the laws/cases and to justify it--as if they were an elected official speaking to voters.
I always givee a pretest so that the stronger students are identified and can help the weaker students.
Sherri,
I agree with your observation. Opening up a discussion with questions could make the instructor feel vulnerable in certain circumstances. For instance, the students may ask questions, in which the instructor does not know the answer or students may choose to not participate, which could make for an awkward situtation. However, the positive effect is that the instructor can establish credibility by being able to act as a "facilitator" in a discussion activity.
Tremayne Simpson
