Get Your Students Hired
Hi Brian, Thyanks for your post to the forum. I really like to use frequent
short quizzes because it gives me the feedback I need to be certain that I am on track with my students. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I use the Study Questions/Cases for Analysis at the end of the Chapters and if not applicable to what I believe they should know from the Chapter info I will create my own questions and assign as homework. We will discuss in class and they will see these questions on the Chapter exam. I use Matching, Fill In and Essay--explaining where they can find the answer in the text and what I want to see in the answer and why it is relevant to their career or a certification exam
I like to use quizzes to gauge my effectiveness at facilitating the course material. If most of the students do well, than I have covered the material. The ones that don’t fare as well are identified and I can work towards tutoring them or changing up the course delivery techniques to accommodate their style of learning. It is helpful to find out where the students are with their understanding of the course material before it is too late to help.
Hi Matthew, Thanks for your post to the forum. You beautifully portrayed assessment in the positive role it should play! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I'm a fan of multiple choice and essay questions, as I like to target the higher order sections of Bloom's Taxonomy, and these two forms of testing do so the best. I've also developed my own bias against certain types of tests (fill-in-the-blanks, short answer) because of my own past instructors who misused exams to trick, confuse or test for what students don't know.
An assessment is part of the contract between instructor and students, and whatever form of assessment one uses, it should be designed to help students achieve their success and solidily reflect what they know; it should not constructed in such a way that it guarantees their failure. Which, ironically, identifies the failure of the instructor as well.
We use computer based multiple choice and some short answer testing along with skill testing and I think they are all effective in some form depending on student learning styles which helps me know how to teach them as close to the students style as I can
Hi Pearlmarie, Generally in Pennsylvania where I teach, a student must have a high school record of an "Individualized Education Plan" (IEP) that was developed because of some disability. If we have that we can make the consessions that you mention. Unfortunately, not every student with a disability was identified in the K-12 setting. Susan
Susan Polick
What effective assessment methods have you found when working with students "outside the normal range?" This would include students who have Engish As A Second Language
and/or physical/mental challenges. At times, I have read the test questions to students, written their answers they have given me verbally, and the like. There is both positive and negative with doing this. Any thoughts?
In our program, we mostly use standardized tests. They must be very carefully checked however because if you are covering additional content other than what is in the book that the stardardized tests have come from, students can have difficulty knowing where to focus their attention. Also, the standardized tests may or may not cover the info you covered outside of the textbook.
Hi Jessica, Thanks for your post to the forum. You are using a very comprehensive assessment strategy! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
All of my quizzes and exams are mixed format. I include multiple choice, matching, and true/false questions to sample the breadth of student knowledge. I also include the MC questions since my students will be required to take board and/or registry exams, which are usually MC.
I sometimes include fill in the blank questions, and I add labeling exercises for anatomy & physiology courses. This also reinforces the importance of spelling.
I also always include a few short answer questions over topics that I consider to be very fundamental or important. I can be a little flexible with what I accept, but I always create a key with the main information I expect in a correct answer. This type of question also reveals students that understand the material but struggle with standardized testing (i.e. MC, matching, etc.)
My favorite method for Interpersonal Relations and Intro to Psych, is to assign essay questions that require them to apply course concepts to their lives. It demonstrates their understanding of the concepts and an ability to apply what they've learned to their lives. That may be the most valuable thing they learn.
I teach math, but try to use as many different assestment types as I can. The book I use came with a test bank, so I generally put tests together using that just because it saves me time. I usually put multiple choice and short-answer (which are just problems to be solved). I encourage my students to show all their work and I give partial credit where I can.
I take the questions from the textbook exercies which are not part of the class assignements and create an assessment. They also use these as a review for the assessment.
Hi Barbara- Thanks for your post to the forum and for sharing some creative assessment ideas! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
For some of my course material, I use what I call “reverse definition†questions – something like “Jeopardy,†except that the answer does not have to be in the form of a question – where the exam gives the definition of a term and the answer is the correct term. I allows two points for each question, so that an “almost-right†answer get half credit. For skill-set assessments, I give a series of quizzes, which are reviewed in class. The exams are set up in the same formats, so the students should be well-prepared for the exams if they’ve taken the quizzes.
Hi Barbara - Thanks for your post to the forum. Your assessment choices are quite appropriate. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Depending on the class I have different methods of test preparation. My primary classes are in accounting and I use the CD test banks. I select each question and review questions to make sure they are relevant to material covered in class. Questions on each test are true & false, multiple choice, and short problems. By using different types of question I can evaluate the students understaning and their learning style.
Hi Kim - thanks for your post to the forum. I agree that application assessments like the "Projects" that you mention are excellent!
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan