I use a pre test on the first day of class to assess what the students know about the classes that I teach. I teach medical terminology and medical billing. By doing this, I get a better sense of where they are and that can help me to proceed.
Chapter quizzes
Unit tests
Final Exam
Projects
Hi Jessica, Thanks for sharing some good ideas to increase student interaction! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
For composition classes, I usually suggest the best pre-writing strategy for the particular style of writing that we are covering (cause/effect, argument, etc.). I then give group assignments where students utilize the strategy to generate ideas and ultimately develop a thesis statement. This not only helps students see how what they are learning is useful in the writing process, but it also helps demonstrate for weaker students how to follow through with the process successfully.
Hi Cynthia, Thanks for your post to the forum. That is an good example of how we can use formative evaluations effectively. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I usually give a formative evaluation before a break. The individual students decide if they want their evaluation to be anonymous. It may involve questions like: list two facts that you did not know prior to today's class, list a question that you have, and how might you use this information in a real-life situation. While my students on on break, I read their evaluations. From their responses,I adjust my lesson to accommodate their needs.
Some of the formative evaluation strategies I have used to assess my students include regular feedbacks by meeting with them individually, reward and recognition in the classroom also help me constantly evaluate how much learning has taken placed by their amount of participation.
Hi Angela, Thanks for your post to the forum. I se case studies in several od my general education classes and find that students really enjoy them. In addition, the case studies seem to demonstrate the relevance of what they are learning. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I like formative evaluations as they help both the instructor and the students know where they are in the learning process for the course. I think a more common evaluation is a test. Can be a quick test to see what they have remembered. I think it can be challenging to to come up with strategies to test their critical thinking, but would think that case studies would be great for that. In one of the classes I taught, there was a large research project as a final project. Each smaller assignment in that class was designed to help the student progress each step of the way to that final project. I had help from previous instructors and the department chair for that.
Now that I've taken this course, I will find more ways of including formative evaluations in the courses I teach.
Hi Richard, You describe an ideal mix of assessments! Thanks for your post to the forum.
Susan Polick
During any given course we use several methods to evaluate the students success. The first evaluation method is the use of quizes, this allows us to determine not only the students ability to learn but also how well the course material has been presented. Low quiz scores by all students generally mean the instructor hasn't dilivered the material well. The second evaluation is done through a final test of course material and the last evaluation is done with a hands on test of what was being taught. The hands on tests is weighted the most as this really is the barometer for how well the student learned.
H Cristiane, Really great interactivity - thanks for sharing!
Susan Polick
One good way to apply formative evaluation is to do a brain storm session by groups after each lecture. Something simple, short but effective. Then have each group write 2-3 questions about the subject. then exchange the questions between groups and give them 10 min to answer the questions posed by the other group. Have each group that posed the question work on correcting it(that will help each group with the comprehension of the class subject and give them a good feedback of how much they learned that day)
Hi Sarah, Thank for sharing some great advice for getting initial assessments in a non-threatening manner. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I think giving students short, ungraded quizzes or assessments at the beginning of class is an effective formative evaluation method. Students can turn in their quizzes without receiving an actual grade, so that the instructor can assess how well the class understands the material. Additional references or resources can be recommended if indicated. The forms can then be handed back to the student for reference at a later date.
1- quizzes
2- class discussions
3- peer responses
4- home work or assignments
Hi Donna, Thanks for your post to the forum and sharing some great examples of varied assessments. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
It seems necessary to rely on written tests for a large part of our evaluations, but it's good to also include projects of various types (research papers, demonstrations, oral presentations, hands-on work when possible). Some homework assignments can also be included in calculation of the final grade.
I like to give students mini problem-solving activities throughout the course so they can put their knowledge to use. This also allows me to assess the progress of each student and see how well they can apply the skills/information they've learned.
Using formative evaluation is very successful. When given group activity assignments, students are able to learn from their peers and the instructor is able to see if the lecture that was given has been beneficial. It is a great way to see if they are learning. It also gets the students who are shy and non-responsive during lecture to participate.
