Hi Joel - Thanks for your post to the forum. Basing your assessments on class presentations and reading assignments is a very comprehensive approach. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I base my test material on course content and reading material. Many items that are important are covered in class, but some of the information is contained in the students reading assignment. Test material should mirror what is taugt in the classroom and supplemental materials.
Hi Michael- Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree completely. What we need to assess is geared to the course objectives. Of course this assumes that our course content is alligned to those objectives. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Test content should stem from the course objectives. Application tests should reflect skills needed to pass licensing exams
Hi David -Thanks for your post to the forum. You shared a good summary of how assessments must measure the competencies set out for the course! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Career courses are generally designed to prepare students for developing knowedge and technical skills for entry level positions. The objectives therefore must be clearly defined in the course chart. Test should be deigned to measure student mastery of those requirements that measure both knowledge and performance.
Everything you have gone over in class.
It's extremely important to track which questions were consistently missed. For that being the case, perhaps the question was not worded properly or the question went beyond the scope of the material being covered. Multiple-choice questions, type tests will often yield a result of very calmly missed questions.
It's very important one. We assess the outcome of our students tested that we are actually testing how well we delivered the material and how effective the student was in understanding the material.
When developing questions for a test. The material should be taken directly from the material covered. For example, if you are covering have the textbook verbatim, then the test should come from the textbook verbatim. If you are covering information that goes beyond the text, then the tests should come directly from that information. Generally speaking, from what I've found students have difficulty taking a next test that which is part textbook and port lecture questions.
Multi-area testing will show both the student and the instructor, the carryover result within a particular course. As opposed to the outcome of just one class or series of classes.
When selecting information for testing, so very important to consider the objective of the test. Down laboratory situation, you would want to analyze what the outcome of the laboratory experiment was.
I agree that the tests should be based on what was taught in the class. It is a good way to assess your ways of teaching, along with the student's learning of the material.
If you are honest with your self, this is a fantastic way to self critique. If a number of students are consistantly missing one or two questions, then it is a big indicator to yourself, you need to take a step back and see if you can present that inforamtion in a different way.
I like to create a test before I deliver the material. This way I know the content was covered. I base the test content on what the student should be learning from the subject.
Hi Peggy - Thanks for your post to the forum.. I agree - it only makes sense to assess teh retention of what we have taught. That being said, it is essential that we teach to the competencies set for our classes. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
The test questions should always correlate with what is being taught. Otherwise, the students, for the most part, will be set up for failure, become frustrated, and probably quit.
HI Daniel - You have a very comprehensive assessment strategy! Best wishes - Susan
Test criteria should be aligned with the expected outcomes of the course; they should allow instructor to determine if the students are meeting the objectives that have been laid out in the syllabus. For example, I run a culinary lab and we do physical cooking exams where students need to demonstrate the ability to execute a variety of cooking techniques. We also do written exams that are a combination of true and false, multiple choice, fill in the blank, definitions, and math to we can see if they comprehend and are meeting the non skill requirements as well.
I like to look back on what I have taught and then write the quizes and tests. We give one quiz a week plus a final. I look back at the power points, the recipes, and the topics we have discused. I do find that I change my tests often depending on what subjects I cover. I do think tests and quiz are a living creature and change often.
Its a delicate balance between content and minutia.
