I like to use Multiple choice, short answer and Essay type test questions. I get to see where the students efforts are.
Multiple choice tests are widely used in our field for general knowledge with a few essay types thrown but skill testing is the final testing.
We use standardized test based on licensure testing. I like the questing that require critical thinking rather than regurgating information.
Hi Thomas - Thanks for sharing a very logical approach to choosing assessments! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I consider the material that is being covered in the sequence of lectures. If the material is conceptual, I will design a test that is short essay and completion, so I can evaluate the student's conceptual grasp of the material. If the lectures are covering discrete data and quantitative measurements, I will design a test that is multiple choice or true/false to avoid simple memorization of the material.
Hi Carolyn- Thanks for your post to the forum. CATs will give you a good idea of what your students have learned from your instruction thus far. You can determine their learning styles either through observation, or by administering some sort of learning styles assessment. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Using CAT's throughout the class, i will determine what type of learning types the class is. I will provide a variety of questions that can be understood by a variety of learning styles.
Mixing up testing formats works well in my class, although i have more multiple choice questions than any other formats. Most students do well in multiple choice questions
The course I teach career development uses skill application for the most part as they need to construct cover letters, resumes, mock interviews, etc. I don't give any quizzes or tests in the class.
I find with my students that a mixture of short answer and multiple choice allows me the flexibility to cover a broad range of topics while making teh student give more detailed and thorough responses.
Hi Mark - thanks for a very thoughtful response to the forum. I think that you make a great point about the advantage of using short answer or essay. I applaud your efforts to prepare your students with the writing skills they will need in their careers! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
What are my objectives for giving the assessment first, but also, for me, I also like to give the students practice in writing, in putting together coherent, well structured responses, as I feel so many come out of high school so poorly prepared to write a research paper, that I decided that I was going to limit my use of multiple choice, true false, matching, etc. types of questions, and instead use mostly short answer, and essay questions. First, I want students to practice, and hone their writing skills, but also, these kinds of questions give students the opportunity to earn partial credit for their responses, unlike multiple choice, where it is either wrong, or right, there is no room for partial credit.
Hi Al - Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree- it is only fair to assess on what our students have learned in our classrooms. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I only can do quizes. My school has all test already made.
Honestly, i poll the students.
The reason that I test is to see the progress of the students. Any test that I give the students is on the information that we covered in the class room. As an Instructor you can tell what your students are learning and how to relate the information to them. I miss up the learning style of my students, some need to write thing down, and some need to read things aloud, so I let them read the workstudy to the class, and everyone takes part in this. I find that peer learning as a group is working out, and I find that the grades are getting higher my a couple of points. I have three of my teacher using this in the class room, and they also see grades going up. This helps when I give them a test. The end of the course I aask the students to write a paper on the information they learned during the course, andhow it will help them in the future.
I really think, if possible, that a student should be exposed to all testing formats within a course. Of course, that isn't possible but I often feel I have neglected assessing certain types of learning by only using one format of testing.
I teach law classes so I am very interested in assessing knowledge in a particular area of the law. Therefore, I prefer essay questions that ask students to apply the law to a specific and new fact pattern.
Hi Gladys- Thanks for your post to the forum. It's excellent that you are carefully assessing your students skill at application in addition to readying them for the registry test! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Andrew- Thanks for your post to the forum. You have a very comprehensive approach to assessment-great work! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
