Hi Nancy - Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree that the tests need to assess what vwas presented by the instructor, I also try to include material they should have gotten from their textbooks and other required resources.
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Michael- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are right - students do retain things like a culinary technique better if they have had a chance to use it. Best wishes- Susan
Hi Richard- Thanks for your post to the forum. I'll bet all that practice makes your students more confident. Do you find that they are nervous when they encounter their first "live" patient?
Hi Renee- I agree; also I think that using a variety of types in each test makes for tests that are more fair as not all students do well with the same assessment type. Best wishes-Susan
Hi Jamison- Time really can become quite an issue. We all have students who just work slowly and deliberately. Timed tests can be a real problem for them. And of course as you mentioned, we are always rushing to get grades out asap. Susan
Agreed! I work with Radiologic Technology students. They learn how to position patients properly to place the x-ray tube, the patient part, and the image receptor in proper alignment so the final radiographic image demonstrates what is the desired results. The students, using anatomy phantoms, can practice all day with their chosen career before ever performing the exams on live patients.
My program is fast-paced. Using the author's test banks is a vital tool. I can review the text bank questions, choose those I wish to use, adapt other questions, and create what I consider a fine assessment tool. The tool is great for assessing my students' understanding and easy/quick for me to prepare and grade. Using the test banks allows me the time to determine what knowledge needs to be assessed without spending time just making up questions.
Time is always a factor as well, how much time do the students have to take the test? and how much time to I have to grade it?
Hi Susan, Being in the culinary arts I like the hands on to see there skills. It is better for the student to remember the way to prep the items.
Test questions should be chosen based on the size of the body of material learned so that the test represents a true sampling of content. They also need to match the content as it was presented by the instructor.
I like to combine criteria on my tests. For example, I like to use multiple choice, fill in blank completion questions, matching activities and true/false questions. I find providing a little bit of everything for students will allow for thorough application of material.
Hi Kirsi - Thanks for your post too the forum. I have found that often new instructors prepare lectures and are intent on delivering them perfectly but fail to stop and let students be part of the convesation. Maybe that's the best way to describe what we should be achieving -conversations with our students or, as you put it Kirsi - "two way learning". Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Definitely. Instructors are more motivated when they are engaged with student in two way learning.
Hi Jacqueline- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are really ensuring that your assessments will be very comprehensive, which is excellent! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Our school uses multiple choice and test banks. After I have read the chapter, selected the objectives, prepared the lecture and powerpoint, I then make the quiz. Constantly going back and forth between the test bank, the objectives and my lecture notes! I always try to make the wuiz before I lecture.
I like to use T/F only for the factual information. There can't be any gray area; it's either T/F. I like multiple choice, not because it is easy to grade but because it forces the student to use elimination. I always add a few short answer. I only use this to determine how much they actually know about a specific question.
Skill application is the most common method
for the course work that we present at our school.
This is the most widel used method.
Hi Christine- thanks for your post to the forum. I agree that since mostly in the online environment we are not synchronous, it can be difficult to do quizzes etc. that really give us info. Is it possible with your online learning management platform to have timed assessments? This makes it pretty tough to turn it into an open book test. Best wishes- Susan
Hi Patricia- Thanks for your post to the forum. In a discipline such as yours , the bottom line is - can the student apply what they have learned? Can they use EXCEL, or set up a network, or install an operating system etc. If they cannot, they have not obtained the compentencies set for our classes. Best wishes- Susan
Amanda,
I also use skill based testing. It is important for the students to be able to apply what they have learned.
Cathy
