Louise, great post. It can also be beneficial to explain to students the role your course plays in their ability to train their brain to solve problems even when math is not directly involved. The process a math problem takes to resolve helps to train the brain to think in a logical and results oriented way so even if their future careers do not require the exact math you are teaching, the skills they will learn apply to any and all careers where thinking is involved.
James Jackson
I do not believe in using quizzes as a threat or disciplinary technique.
I teach College Algebra at a career school. Many of my students struggled with math in secondary school. Further, many may not understand the relationship of math to their careers. Therefore, I face a dual issue of fear of the topic and reluctance to embrace the course.
To alleviate the fear, I go over my syllabus and grading rubrics in detail on the first day of class. I show the students that I have placed greater emphasis on take home assignments and in class assignments. Less than half of the course grade (45%) is based on exams.
I explain that this keeps the course within their control. As long as the student comes to class, and turns in the homework assignments, the student can still pass the course without the requirement of earning all A's on the exam. This seems to relax the students.
Also I allow the students to use calculators and bring in sheets with formulas on exams. It is not the most important aspect of the lesson that the student memorizes the formulas - it is important that the student understands how to use and apply the formulas.
James, for some students the fear of failure is not the problem while the stress of the dynamics of test taking can be a big problem. Make sure your students fully understand the role that tests play in your classroom and how they are part of the learning process. Just knowing that they will learn from the experience and not just be ranked by them can be very comforting.
James Jackson
I think everyone has a fear of taking a test, your always afraid of a failing grade or of what your fellow students will say about your grade. i feel tha pop quises that dont count towards your grade help the student guage where they are at in there understanding of the course so far.
threatning students with tests is a big turn off. they feel threatened and you could get retaliation and poor feed back
I also use the Jeopardy game and have had great results. The students participation goes way up in comparison to reviewing by traditional means. They have a great time while learning because every time I have used it the scores go way up.
Bernard, great post and excellent comments. Assessments are an important part of learning but need to be properly administered and explained to students. For many students in career colleges they have not had a formal education experience in many years so taking the time to explain how testing benefits them and then properly preparing them for tests can go a long way to enhancing the level of success in achieving the desired learning outcomes.
James Jackson
Quizzes or test should be used as a positive motivator they should be reviewed so that the students go into the test with a positive attitude so that the outcome is a win win situation. When you use quizzes or test in a threatening way you will just have students that are very discouraged and unable to learn. You always what to help the students be successful in there ability to learn.
Issy, test taking anxiety can be an issue for all students regardless of their GPA or aptitude. Best practice is to get students comfortable with the test taking process and ensure they fully understand the role tests play in the learning process. Never use a test as a method of punishment but use them to ensure the learning outcomes are reached. Make sure students fully understand the role that tests play in your lesson plans.
James Jackson
I have a variety of student ages in my classrooms-I find that all students are equal in their axiety of tests. I have adjusted my cirriculum to having quizzes at the beginning of class which still reflects all learning material but does not seem to generate such panic among my students.
Most of my vocational college students come in terrified in general, and especially of tests. I try to give them quizzes that gradually stair step the difficulty of the material so they can have some confidence inspiring successes early on. That helps to get their internal fearful self dialog out of they way. They burn so much energy just being stressed in the beginning that they have less energy to focus on the material.
I have never given quizzes or exams as a punishment. It seems self evident to me that if my goal is to make the academic process more enjoyable that this would be a very negative reinforcement to something I want them to get more comformable with.
I do know an instructor who will give pop-quizzes if alot of her students are absent. These are never presented as a punished but she does not allow make up pop-quizzes. She is trying to send the message that every day of class is important. Our college is an attendance based system due to financial aide regulations. I have mixed feelings about this and would love to know what others think about this.
To try to alleviate fear some students have about taking tests I like to give a practice test. By doing this I can also have feedback in how well I taught the materail.
Sometimes I will also give a pretest which can help me know their level of understanding of the material. This can be very helpful in determining the amount of time needed in a subject area.
As far as using tests as threats for control this will certainly backfire. The proper way to handle this issue is on an indivdual basis by trying to find out the underlying problem and offer some guidelines to helping them solve it themselves.
I also use a jeopardy game and the student's seem to get mor involved in learning the material. A number of students have said it helped them have a better understanding before testing.
I have a saying that I tell my students before they take an exam, "Trust your first answer it is usually correct". I also tell them to read over the test first-answer what you know- then go back and answer what you do not. It helps alleviate the "I'm stuck" anxiety becaues they are afraid they will not finish. Often times in reading the test they will remember how to answer other questions.
I find that poor test takers can be successful when introduced to material in a fun way. I have the students in my course do PCM tuning in class together to see what they currently know. I then have a fun excerise in tuning with parameters i give out and encourage them to make mistakes. This is a way to bring and show everyone makes mistakes and bring more encouragement to whole class.
Robert, open and honest dialog is a great technique and goes a long way for students to feel safe and ready to learn. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing.
James Jackson
Something I have found helpful in reducing test anxiety is to provide an opportunity for reassurance. After completing a lecture on a particular subject, I will open a dialogue with the class related to the subject matter we have just gone over. During this discussion, I will ask the class hypothetical questions pertaining to the subject and as they are responding, refer to facts in the lecture and how they relate. I continue this for several minutes or until it is clear there is very good comprehension of the material. Before I continue with the lecture, I will ask if anyone did not understand how we arrived at that conclusion. If so, that will be addressed right away. If not, I reassure them that it is apparent that they have a good understanding of this subject. Then after completing the section and before testing, I will either give them a quiz related to the same material or hold a question / answer session.
I also feel that using a test for discipline purposes is counter-productive. It can make the students feel like you are retaliating or trying to get even with them. That will surely turn the students against you and make it difficult to connect with them.
Jacquie, can you provide some specific examples of how you make it all about the student? Thanks for any examples you can provide.
James Jackson
I don't believe this is an effective method. It seems to create more insecurity and make students feel the have lack of autonomy. I try to use the "this is about the student and not me" approach meaning not letting my pride take over the classroom but really be here for the students success.
Allen, I too am a poor test taker and have experienced great results sharing my techniques with my students. Thanks for sharing your technique.
James Jackson
Donald, do you share these statistics with your students? Could be beneficial for them to know that students that follow your steps perform x% than those that do not. Just a suggestion.
James Jackson
