Maritza, can you share any of the web sites? I am sure other readers would benefit from a sharing of resources.
James Jackson
Ryan, nice dog analogy. I totally agree that assessments should enhance the learning outcomes of students and not be associated with negative entanglements.
James Jackson
As soon as you use "quiz" or "test" as a threat, you are suggesting that if the students were to have behaved better they would not have had these tests and quizzes. This should not be true. Any academic setting should have quizzes and other tests to ensure that objectives are being met. If I spray my dog in the face with water every time he goes to the bathroom (whether or not in an appropriate location) he will soon associate using the bathroom with bad behavior. Quizzes and tests should be constructive tools not DEstructive.
Using quizzes as a threat is not a part of any course I have ever taught since my curriculum is preset and standardized across each section of the class.
Students who fear the quizzes do state this during live seminar and I give them tips to reduce the anxiety and also send them to some good test taking websites to learn new techniques.
I do take that into consideration, as I was not a good test taker. I offer one on one chapter review or tutoring. I play Jeopardy and do a class study group before the exam is given. Flash cards work great to retain information.
Rosa, students like to know when assessments can be expected so they can properly prepare. Do you also take into consideration that some students may not be good test takers? Do you provide any additional training or preparation techniques that your students can follow?
James Jackson
Gregg, sounds like a great technique. Have you been able to evaluate your techniques against test scores of similar courses that do not use this technique? Would be interesting to see of your average test scores compare to other similar courses.
James Jackson
I never dismiss the fear students have over taking a test. I let my students know exactly when the test is going to be and what is going to be covered. This reduces the fear a bit. If an instructor threats students with a quiz, I think of 2 things, one-students will eventually think the instructor is "crying wolf" when not quiz is given and two-it increases the fear and worry of all students, they fear the unknown.
I find that the students who fear tests and quizzes have been trained, in some respect, to believe that a test or quiz is not just a statement on their grasp of the material, but on who they are as a students. I try to address this from the first class by emphasizing that I will help them be prepared for all tests and quizzes. I emphasize that my tests/quizzes are never intended to trick them or to catch them being unprepared, but to ensure that they understand the material. After discussing a topic, I like to say something like "I could see this topic ending up on a test/quiz. Let's make sure we all understand it". and then encourage questions. I think doing that allays some test anxiety.
Melissa, good for you in understanding that using notes is also a skill that needs to be incorporated into teaching and learning. There is a time and place for all forms of assessment and teaching students the importance of using reference materials is also critical to them mastering a new concept or subject area. Thanks for sharing.
James Jackson
Joe, for some students the fear is bread out of learning disorders or a lack of understanding how best to prepare or even take a test. In the career college sector, many students are career changers and have been out of formal education for several years. They may have forgotten the skills needed to be good test takers. The myth is students that do not perform well on tests did not study the materials properly and the reality needs to incorporate that some students may have learning disorders and no matter how hard they work they will have difficulty getting their thoughts onto the test instrument. Knowing how to identify the more common learning disorders and how best to get help for your students is becoming more and more of a vital skill for all instructors.
James Jackson
Heather, I really like that format and also encourages students to know their reference resources. I have also seen where instructors will create open book exams that are timed which also ensures students know their resources well. If they are not familiar with their resources then they still will not receive a good grade due to the fact they need to have good time management and know where to find information quickly.
James Jackson
One of things I do in my class to help minimize test anxiety. I do recognize that it is a real issue for some students to overcome. I allow students to utilize their notes when the information is more technical and outside the realm of "everyday" knowledge that does not pertain to their future careers. Example: In General Psychology, there is a large section on the components of the eye and ear when studying sensation and perception. I allow students to use their notes to answer identification questions related to those components but have them answer short answer questions, in their own words, on the influence the functioning of these organs can have on behavior.
Testing or quizes should be developed as an assessment tool. There is never a reason to threaten or use a quiz as a disclipine control technique. Using quizes a trhreat casuses the "fear factor." Taking this question backwards, test anxiety is bred from the competitive desire for grades versus what should be the goal of a course, learning. To address the fear factor the instructor needs to gain the trust of the students and spend the requisete time to develop tools to assest learning. A good quiz tells thee instructor if the subject material has been properly presented, the student has grasped the content and identifies issues inthe course. Emphasis on assessing raterh than grades always helps reduce the fear factor.
I teach CJ and legal courses. I have always allowed my students to use both the text and their notes during the exam. I have found that many of the students feel more confident and do not even open the book or notes as much. This may also be because I end each lecture with sample questions that they will see on their exams/quizzes. I like to stress that these assessments are to see whether they are understanding the material rather than as a threat.
Patrick, another way of looking at assessments is also a measure of your effectiveness as an instructor and the quality of the lesson plans. If 19 out of 20 students are doing well quarter after quarter in your classes then your methodology and quality of the lesson plan may not need much change. However if you notice that every quarter there are several students that are falling behind or not achieving the goals of the lesson plan then something else may need to be considered. Too often novice instructors look at the averages and say over 80% of their students are achieving the course goals but the real issue is every quarter around 20% are not achieving and this is a large enough number to be concerning and a different approach may need to be considered. Do you maintain course by course statistics so you can look for patterns in the overall effectiveness of your learning outcomes? Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson
Chris, thanks for sharing that great technique. Mnemonics are great as long as they are not more complicated than the concept they are used for themselves.
James Jackson
Pamela, how do you manage actual learning disorders that could be the cause of poor results on assessments? For some students the fear is more rooted in a lack of understanding of the materials regardless of how much time they spend studying the materials. They may also lack the skills to formulate questions or be intimidated if they feel they are the weak link within the classroom. Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson
Testing is the tool that we use to mesure how the students are comprehending the information. I think the fear test really affects people and some are positive about tests. I tess students it is an assemnet of what they know.
Fear of failure can be a motivating factor to study. However, if a student studies and then performs poorly then it may lead to a "why study" mentality. I try to use mnemonics to get my students to memorize certain key concepts. Some of them appear "funny" when I do them and the students usually chuckle. It does two things: brings humor to learning and the students rarely (if ever) forget my funny looking mnemonics on the test.
I try no to give quizzes as "discipline". I almost always announce all quizzes and tests. In my opinion, an instructor who uses quizzes as a discipline technique has underlying problems in their style, presentation or content than a quiz will "fix".
