Pretests
I have discovered that by giving students small pretests or quizzes during the term, along with extensive reviewing, they seem to do much better on their final exams.
Michael,
I agree. Instructors cannot assume that students are intrinsically motivated by learning, therefore they must have incentives in order to be productive in the course. Naturally, grading is the most important facet of the class for students, therefore point values should be attached to every course assignment, even smaller in-class activities should have a point value.
Tremayne Simpson
We do not use the online environment at this time, but if the class is face to face , do the students take the assignment seriously if there is no score assigned, even if purpose explained? I always tried to give my students credit for work done, especially if it would help them learn outcomes.
This is very true. I give a quiz based on the lecture at the end of every week. This allows me to review that quiz the following class, so that they can 1) see how I might ask a question, and 2) be able to have something to study specifically for the midterm and final exams.
Very important that they understand week to week what it is they learned the previous week, as most of my classes require one skill to be built upon another.
I definitely agree on givng the students pre test and quizzes.. Its one way of finding out if they are comprehending what is being taught and if not why? maybe there could be a hidden learning disorder , or maybe they just need some extra tutoring.
And it keeps the students informed continually about their own learning and progress. I have found this to be an important part of adult learning.
I have found that pretest gives me heads up on how much my students know and the level of knowledge they have on the class they are in.
giving a pretest can give you an idea of what the students know now and how much you may need to spend on a subject
Corliss,
To produce awareness (within students), it is important that an instructor discusses the alignment of the course and program learning outcomes. This can serve as a reminder for the student that the course will play a major role, not only in future classes, but also in their desired career.
Tremayne Simpson
Charles,
Pretests can be "masked" within fun, student activities. For instance, a well-placed collaborative assignment can be used to evaluate student prior knowledge and comprehension of the subject.
Tremayne Simpson
I agree. Students sometimes do not understand that information contained in the specific program or course should connect. They may have a course in terminology several months ago and will not recall certain terms. When having the students to understand that it all connects they will perform better. Pre-testing will help!
I have not tried pretests yet. I think it would be great to give me an idea about what I really need to teach that particular group of students. I believe it would also help introduce them to the subject material.
i have yet to use a pretest. sounds like a great tool for getting to know where your group of students is with the pending subject matter. i guess the challenge is to keep it fun and engaging enough but not to cause stress. i'll definitely try to incorporate this into my course.
Benjamin,
I agree with this idea. Ideally, final exams should serve as "post-diagnostics" to serve as a measurement for student learning in the course. The "pre-test/diagnostic" should serve as the catalyst for establishing the student's prior level of subject knowledge.
Tremayne Simpson
I find that pretests are as important as final exams for a number of reasons. Pretests introduce students to material in a non-graded way. Students can find their shortcomings, and therefore, practice for their real exams. They can also find lectures more structured, since they know what they are searching for when they learn.
Pre test are a good way to take the stress out of what test and quizes that are to come it helps a student feel a little easy of knowing they passed the pre test they know how to study the actual test
I agree with you,it allows the student to review and it lets you see-as the instructor what is being retained by the students. This helps you and your students.what do you suggest if your assesment is of balanced?
Harmony,
In addtion, check the functionality of your institution's student portal. Many portal systems are equipt with online testing and grading tools for instructors.
Tremayne Simpson
Elizabeth,
I agree. Online testing can assist in saving "valuable" class time and can be used to encourage the students to utilze their course portals.
Tremayne Simpson
I really like this idea, as we have access to Engrade as well. We recently tried smaller quizzes with another subject and they did somewhat better. The issue for us is while studying our more "intense" subjects, taking in class time can be difficult. I think Engrade times quizzes would be great.
