I agree that letting them take a quiz more than once will only teach them the quiz.
You may consider this approach.
I have the quizzes count for a small part of the overall grade. The bulk of the grade comes from their projects. This does two things: One, it eases the minds of the students who are fearful of taking quizzes and tests. Two, I can use the quiz as a learning tool. What I do is actually let the students grade their own quiz. (Our class size is usually only 8 - 12 so this may not work with a larger class.) We go down the line and I have the students answer and discuss each question. I have them take notes on the quiz on any question they missed. I collect them to check their work and record the grades. I return the quizzes the next day so they can put it in their binder to use a study guide. We have 4 quizzes and a final test. The final test doesn't have the same questions as the quizzes, but similar. If a topic is on a quiz, they can bet it will be on the final. The students know if they understand a topic well enough to get it right on the quiz, they will be OK for the final. If they messed up on the quiz, it doesn't count against their grade appreciably and they now have extra notes over what they missed.
Hi Bradford,
Thank you for the comments. You make a number of very good points.
Gary
Gary chimes a note with me in that testing one's knowledge is a tricky thing. The test environment is not necessarily the practical use environment. When a student scores poorly I try to find out why. Some fess up and say they didn't study where others are lousy at pen and paper. So I give them an aural or hands on test, as they prefer.
In training kids in a vocation, for me, it is better that they know how to do and that they can do. How I squeeze that information out of them is the hard part. This is why I stress knowing more than one way to do any one thing. One way may ring true with one student where another method may be preferred by the next. As long as the final result is the same.
Though, this is difficult when it comes to hard facts, which are immutable. Some stuff you JUST HAVE TO KNOW. I don't want my surgeon confused between a scalpel and an Exacto knife.
Hi Mike,
You make a number of excellent points. Testing student knowledge is always a tricky endeavor at best. The key is to develop the best method of assessing knowlege and then having policies that support that effort.
You explained your method very well.
Gary
What is the student learning by retaking a quiz several times? I feel they learn the quiz not the content. If there is a good solution I haven't found one.
I agree with you Mike. I've found that my students don't prepare if they know they can retake it over again. At one time, I prepared 2 versions of each quiz but that didn't resolve the issue either.
Hands on Labs and projects are different with a different learning objective.
It's always up to the instructor to decide which students need additional tutoring/ assistance because of their learning ability.
For me, I do not let them take quizzes over again. Like you mentioned, it would be unfair to the students that where prepared the first time. So, I don't think tests should be given again....unless.....there has been a break down of the learning process. An example would be that the highest grade was a 70. Then you would need to re-lecture using difference learn modes or teaching statigies to better communicate the topic. Then re-test them.
Projects I do different. Since doing projects are where some of the real learning proceses occur, I let them re-do projects. Like all hands-on activities, most people do it better on the second try. One learns from mistakes. I want them to do it until they get good at it.
But-- to be fair again to the people who do a good project on the first try, we average the grades. So that if one made a 70 on the original, and did it again and made a 100. The final grade for that project would be an 80.
Students respond pretty well to this system. Those that really don't need to do it again, don't usually ask, and the students that should do it again, usually ask to. If the student makes below a 70.... I require that they do a re-do.
Hi Mike,
The answer to this question depends upon the reason for having the student take the test over and over. In the process is learning occurring? Is progress being made or is the student taking the same test over and over and getting better scores through memory of the items. If that is the answer then it is not fair to the student nor the career area. Meaning the student has to know the content and have the skills or they will not be successful in the future. If they have problems with time and focus due to pressure or cognitive processin issues then that is different. Also, different versions of the test can be given to make sure content is being tested.
There needs to be a reason for taking the test over and over as well. Rationale has to be established or time is being wasted by having the student take the test over and over.
Am interested in your comments about this most important topic.
Thanks.
Gary
Hi Mike ... I share your concern about the fine line between helping and coddling students. I don't see retaking quizzes as being a bad thing, because as you point out, there is a varies and diverse learning curve involved with our students and re-taking a quiz is definitely uselful for some students. Personally, I draw the line at retakes on quizzes ... not allowed for major exams. I also have a fairly liberal homework policy, allowing my students a generous grace period in which to turn in their assignments, pegging homework to a substantial portion of their overall grade. I find this encourages them to do the work, even if it is only eventually! I am relatively new to this teaching gig, but I am getting pretty good results so far. Bottom line, I guess, is doing what is necessary to make the student successful in school, and along the way, hopefully we can ween them off the support system we build for them in class. Hope my thoughts are helpful to you.
Regards,
John
