I can see the use of quizes as a good way to use formative evaluations. I probable do not use enough of them. In the classes I teach I have a lot of information to go through in such a short period of time that it seems like I do not have time to throw in a quiz here and there. I usually just have tests. This is one thing I probable should try to incorporate into my classes, a quiz at the end key study point.
HI Germain- Thanks for your post to the forum. What discipline do you teach? I find students in the area of humanities and social sciences are enthusiastic about writing journals,but those in the more technical ares not so much. What's your take? Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
If no one else mentioned this (I read most, but not all, posts), journaling can be used for purposes of non-graded assessment. Focused writing for 10-15 minutes, about some aspect of a course session, can reveal what students do understand, don't understand, want more information about, have alternate perspectives on, and find particularly applicable. I frequently end class sessions, about weightier topics, with a journaling session.
Hi Dean - Thanks for your post to the forum. I really like your idea of having a video camera available. It would be a great tool to review what went wrong and what went right! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Throughout the various class sessions. the students have opportunities to use a video camera and shoot what we call pickups to enhance an existing project they are working on. It is a constant exercise and evaluation of skill and self improvement.
Hi Annette - Excellent example of application testing! As career educators we really must be certain that the graduates we produce have mastered the competencies that we say they have. Best wishes- Susan
Good idea, Jodi! I've used those before, too. It also helps because you can tell who has been listening and/or doing and who has not been doing those things.
One of my favorite evaluation ideas is something that I use in a medical office procedures class. In this class, they have gone through various parts of registering, scheduling, insurance processing, and billing patients. I have created a scenario that I use with two new patients, where the students have to register, schedule, process the insurance claims, and bill the patients. It is really a good evaluation of all the different processes they learned throughout the quarter.
Hi Rosemary- Thanks for your post to the forum. Giving your students the opportunity to not only share what they "got" but sincerely asking what was "muddy" helps them to be open about what they are unsure of. How often have we asked "Are there any questions?" and gotten no response only to find on the next test that they didn't get it at all! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
At the end of each class (lecture & lab) students are asked to tell me one or two connections they made that day of the material presented, and one "muddy area" of a concept that they didn't fully grasp and/or understand at all.
These connections and muddy areas give me information, from the student's perspective on what material needs further clarification and instructional methods that are working well and which need a bit of tweeking.
HI Meredith- thanks for your post to the forum. Making our lessons relevant to our students lives and career goals is, as mention, really important. If your students are excited about seeing their grades you have them excited about learning - Bravo! Susan
I make sure to assign and grade homework related to the assigned reading on a weekly basis. I also assign at least one case study that is outside the textbook to bring "real world experience" to the classroom. Making sure I update the grades on a weekly basis in the electronic Blackboard. If I get behind on grading, the student's let me know, as they are checking their grades frequently.
I think the short quiz's work for me because I can see if my student have got what I wanted them out of the lesson plan for that day. I hit on 5 points of intrest of the lesson and we discuss it after the quiz.
Hi Kenneth - Thank you for an excellent post to the forum! I really agree with you about the choice between many regular quizzes vs. a mid-term/final for the very same reasons that you mention. You are obviously an accomplished teacher - best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
This is actually an easy question. All the normative ways that have been devised to assess students would fall under this category. Quizzes, tests, comprehensive exams, midterm and final exams, research papers, essays, demonstration of skills, oral presentations, would all be examples of formative evaluation techniques. Due to the kind of classes I teach, quizzes and tests are probably the best evaluation techniques. I prefer short quizzes at the conclusion of a section or chapter.
I do not like giving midterm and final exams. My experience has been that students often cram for these exams, and as a result, the knowledge does not stick with them. However, if material is broken down into smaller chunks, I find the students retain it better. In addition, students can do poorly on a quiz and not have their grade affected that much. However, if a midterm or final exam is all that is given as an assessment in the course, and the student does poorly on one of these exams, for whatever reason, their final grade is significantly impacted. I believe short quizzes are also more of a reflection of what students learn rather than a midterm or final exam. Many students also crumble under the pressure of a midterm or final, while I find many of my students prefer the many short quizzes format. They report feeling less stressed and pressured and I find that they retain the information better. I do conclude my courses with a "final exam" but that exam is often an oral exam given to the entire class and is more a summation of material we covered througout the quarter or semester rather than a graded assessment. Students actually have an enjoyable time with this final oral exam. It really does demonstrate how much they have learned throughout the year. And as a bonus, the sooner they finish this exam, the sooner class concludes.
In addition to short quizzes, I also require brief essays or reaction papers. I usually give my students a series of questions based on Chapter material or have them write a short reaction to something in a chapter from a textbook. Students initially chafe at the idea of having to write essays, but as the quarter or semester wears on, their writing skills show a significant improvement, And by the end of the quarter they are often grateful for the opportunity to write. I constantly stress throughout the quarter the importance of having good writing skills, especially when it comes to job promotion. As the students progress in their programs, or even graduate and begin working in that first job, they are grateful that writing was required. Students often underestimate the importance of developing good writings skills. I give plenty of written feedback on these essays which the students appreciate. I've also found that grading essays are fairly easy if you have a good rubric.
So, for me, a combination of short quizzes, combined with brief essays, and a final summation review, is my best "formative evaluation strategy."
I use quick papers a lot in my classes. This helps me gauge whether or not the students are understanding the objectives I'm trying to make sure they gain throughout the class.
I find that having the students write what they know in the form of brief essays--some as short as a paragraph in length--helps me to get a reliable look at how much they are learning. Writing forces them to think clearly on paper, and that's always one of my goals for them.
I like using homework assignments and incorporating them into group activities. This allows me to assess them not only individually but also assess their practical understanding of concepts as I listen in on their discussion of the assignment. These assignments are also incorporated into summative assessment as I use them for the concluding assessment of their participation grade (which is part of their overall course grade). I also use class/group activities to assess their mastery of concepts through hands-on activities. When studying teamwork and leadership concepts, for example, I provide them with a "Wilderness Survival" activity in which they are broken into teams and I get to observe their application of teamwork and leadership skills.
In the nursing program, testing skills in lab, exams and quizzes in the classroom
Residentially, I use question and answer sessions that are built in to lectures. This not only gives me a chance to ask the students about what the students feel and think, but it also gives them a chance to talk about their ideas, which helps to solidify them in their memories. Online, I let them know ahead of time how something we might be working on is related to something coming up. That way,when they get to the next relevant information, they can make the connection between contexts.
