Having a CD as a guide is always great but adding in your own questions is also a good idea. especially because every teacher has his or her own experience.
Hi Lynne, Thanks for your post to the forum. That is an excellent mix of assessments! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I use multiple choice for weekly quizzes. For exams that span several weeks of material, I have used multiple choice, matching, short answer, and essay in the same test. I start with multiple choice and end with an essay or two. I feel that this type of layout eases the student into the test and they feel comfortable with the questions and material by the time they get to the essay.
Hi Cristiane, Thanks for sharing your positive experience with case studies. I also have had great success with them. I find that they really demonstrate the relevance of what my students are learning. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I would like to answer that a bit differently and post a answer in the practical aspect of assessments.
I have found that case-studies to assess skills is very successful in demonstrating to the students how much information they have learned so far and how well they are applying it in the context expected.
I have had several students come to me after the case study was done and tell how much information they didn't know they had actually learned :-)
Hi Shane, "Teaching Back" is a really powerful application assessment! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I have required students to prepare a lecture as best as they can and present to their classmates. This ensures the student has study, researched and they comprehend the topic assigned to them.
I use a combination of questions gathered from the text's question bank in addition to questions that I created based on lecture content and course handouts.
Hi William, Thanks for your post to the forum. I certainly agree that it is ideal to use assessments that will mirror the licensing exams students will be taking. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I feel that the best form of testing is multiple choice tests and skill set tests. only because they are what the students will have when they leave the school. they will have multiple choice tests when they sit for their electrical licence and skill set because it is the work they are going to do when they graduate.
Hi Mary, Thanks for your kind comment - I am glad you enjoyed the course!
Susan Polick
I have effectively used multiple choice test items. I tried using a word bank once and the students didn't like it because the grammar of the stem didn't match some of the response options. I learned a lot in this course. Very informative and helpful!
I agree. I also edit the material to better fit my letures. However, the test banks are a great help.
I have used standardized tests and have created my own as well. When using standardized tests that come from the textbook publisher, it is necessary to alter the questions in order for them to be related to how and what I have covered in class. I actually have found good success with the exams I have created on my own.
Hands on works well with our students. It lets us know the dexterity they have or don't have. It helps us to know what they understand and comprehend about the topic.
Hi Jennifer, Thanks for your post to the forum. I also believe that when students can apply what we are teaching, they have really LEARNED! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I do a lot of case studies which incorporates what the student read in the chapter, what they learned from the lecture. The student may be able to remember all of the inforamtion for a test, however I want to make sure they APPLY the information in a real life situation.
Although most of the test are already created and are mostly multiple choice, I sometimes make an addition of 1 to 2 essay questions because some students do a better job explaining a concept in writing than selecting the answer.
For written tests, I create them by starting with a mix of matching and T/F (knowledge), then a section for completion(comprehension), then short answer or essay questions (application,analysis, synthesis,evaluation)these questions have a higher weight than the knowledge/comprehension questions because the are higher order questions that utilize the processes of terms, concepts, ideas from content area.
For practical testing or skills application, I create a rubric with a range of 1-5, anticipating 100% accuracy in the lab. Eacb rubric box is filled with information describing the proper skill or areas for improvement. Feedback is swift for students since in the kitchen lab, the product is immediately evaluated by instructor and student.
Hi Thomas, Thanks for your post to the forum. Students do really enjoy sharing their own experiences relevant to the topics they are learning. This makes the topics more relevant to the entire class and so increases retention.
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
