I like to use information from previous classes as to what worked and what didn't.
As a new instructor I find this to be a good idea so that you can rely on this information for future testing. I would like to vary my testing formats in order to know how the students are best assessed.
The test format i mostly use as well is multiple choice. I feel its best suited for the class. I teach biochemistry and it helps covering a broad range of goals and objectives i need to cover. Normally after all the students take the exam, i evaluate their performance. If i see most students had a hard time on a specific question, i will go over it in class to make sure they understand the concept and key points that i need to get across to them. For the most part, it has been very positive and consistent with the results.
Hi Laura, Thanks for sharing some good strategies to evaluate assessments. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I usually determine the effectiveness of testing formats by grade distribution. Once the test is completed I take a look at the test from various angles: 1) over grade of the class; 2) grade of individual students. Then I take a look at the grade distribution of each specific question (how many students answered correctly and incorrectly).
The effectiveness of a test format is determined by how students answer the test and how they do given the level of difficulty of the test. If almost the whole class got very low on a certain test format, then I might have to rethink and revise the said test and make sure that course content was properly utilized.
Hi Richard, Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree that in some disciplines the "hands-on" or skill testing trumps all other assessments.
Susan Polick
Our test are written by professional curriculum writers and cover a variety of question and styles such as true or false, multiple chioce and fill in the blank. There are times when we may tweak a question that we see students are having difficulty with but the real test is the students hands on test which would include the major points of the course material. This ensures us of the students knowledge.
Determining the method of assessment measures the students' progress in your class. I believe it is a practice that needs to be revises from time to time that is determined on content. I change my methods of testing depending on my learning objectives.
In smaller classes when I hand back an exam I will have the students write their comments on the back page. That is a great way for me, as an instructor to determine the effectiveness. Normally if the feedback is similar it is a success, if there is a lot of variance then the testing format may not have be as successful.
When I give my first exam I give different styles of test to assess, what type of test taking the student prefer without them even knowing this gives the edge of knowing what type of test the student are strong/ confindent in taking
Testing for licensure in Medical Massage Therapy is always administered in multiple choice form however, to create a better understanding of the subject I will often mix in True/False and Matching to challenge my students a bit more and help them to comprehend subject questions better.
Hi Erin, Thanks for your post to the forum. Absolutly we need to be constantly reviewing and revising our tests! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I usually try to gauge before giving the test how well the review went. This can give me an idea of how prepared my students are, since I do review based on the test. Also, after the test, I review the grades and specifically which types of questions my students struggled with. I believe it's important to always be reassessing the efficacy of tests.
I like to formulate questions to what I am about to teach for a couple of reasons - the students get a hint of what is impotant to know, it encourages discussion and the discussion helps me answer any questions that they might have therefore making the question on the test very clear.
Hi Renee, Thanks for your post to the forum. Absolutely - multiple choice when written carefully can require students to use critical thinking in addition to the sometimes necessary memorization. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I agree with that. I think multiple choice tests are good but definitely need to be reviewed and written in a way the student actually needs to know the information and not memorize it.
I believe we check the effectiveness by verify the test scores , also afterward going over the test to make sure the learner is understanding the matierial and memerizing it.
I like to incorporate different type of assessments, both objective and subjective, thus allowing students the chance to prove their knowledge in a variety of different ways. This allows the students that aren't "test takers" the opportunity to perform well in other areas.
Hi Donna,- Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, it is so important to review tests, otherwise students do not learn from their mistakes. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
