I gear it around whatever lesson we are working on for that week, or testing for that month. I can tell from the test content whether or not a person really applied themselves or they are trying to just get by. I also use other material that corresponds to any lessons we broach, and test on that material as well. By correlating the different materials and sources that I use, I can give a broader test, and see if the material is sinking in or if they student is lost, not doing their part or nail it.
Hi Bobbe- Excellent testing plan! I agree- more is better as we try to ascertain how well our students are doing. Susan
Hi Christina- Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, I agree completely - it is important that we convey our expectations to our students. They must be made aware of what we expect them to know and we must assess them on that knowledge. Our expectations must also match the competencies that we have identified for the course and so of course we have to teach to those competencies.
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Testing content should be based on the informatin discussed in class, i.e., lecture, class discussion, etc. as well as any assigned reading. As an instructor it is important to be clear about what you expect your students to be knowledgable of for testing.
Depends on the type of materials I've presented and what my goals are for that particular segment. If I,ve just completed lecture on a lab project, of course I would use a test which I'd be able to test their skill level.
I think tests should include questions that relate to what they are learning. I like to use a variety of True and False, Essay - one or two -- and multiple choice. The contents could cover what they have learned weekly, monthly, etc. I prefer testing often and re-testing so that it's fresh in their minds. Quarter reviews are great too. That reinforces the prior learning, so they do not forget the basics.
Hi Joe- I also teach Psych and Critical Thinking and really like your idea about relating the class to Life Coaching. Thanks for sharing! Susan
I teach Psy and Critical Thinking. One of the things I include on assessments (typically in the form of a short answer or essay) is a "Life Coaching" section to allow students to reflect on how the information can help them grow as a person and a future medical professional, parent, student, etc....
This way, the information is not just regurgitated then forgotten.
I've had several students state they quiet often pull out the text we used and attempt to gain help in decision making/future critical thinking scenario's in their program.
Testing material should be based on what is taught in class. It needs to reflect what the students have learned.
So I can know I am testing what I have thought in the classroom. And I know they have read there book work.
Hi Dellene- Thanks for your post to the forum. You put it very well - the instructor should know what was covered in class and the test should reflect that. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I think (??) should be based off of testing students knowlege of what we have covered in class, as well as being able to demonstrate their mastery of knowledge and provide instructor feedback to how well I taught the course objectives.
A good test covers all critical material of the class and a good teacher has the students ready and comfortable with the lessons learned.
I believe that a variety of test questions should be composed covering specific subjects. Along that line though, I feel that true and false testing should be included along w/ multiple choice and at the very end some type of essay question which requires the student to think more and apply their skills as far as writing, compiling information.
Instructors should choose content that allows the student to demonstrate how much they know.
It should be based on what content/information it is you want your students to take away from your material. The very basic to the most detailed part of your material can be included, depending on what it is going to take to get tghe job done in the "real" world.
I make sure each test covers the main topics & any clss objectives that were covered. I always include a few questions from our readings. I write multiple question formats on the most important topcis to make sure students have the oppertunity to show their knowledge.
You should consider: The level of learning you expect the student to achieve, what material needs to be assessed and how the students best test.
Part of my criteria to select the course material for testing is to include the items that are the building blocks of the material. I want to see that the students have mastered the items they must know to be able to progress to the next Chapter. If they have not, the student can see that by the results of the Exam. And I can also see that I need to take action, to help the student with the material, so that they can still be successful going into the next Chapter.
With my Online Classes this can be difficult as we are moving on to the next Chapter in the same week as they are taking an exam over the material from the previous Chapter. It is important that I have a one-on-one relationship with each student so I can intervene when they need to take a step back to pick up material they have not mastered. Students that did poorly on an exam are usually frustrated with the next part of the course. Because they do not have a good foundation to build on, the new items to be mastered do not fit logically into their knowledge base.
Debi Makidon
Making sure the content is as closely related to the content you are instructing on is the most important thing.
