Barbara, great post and teaching students how to study and take notes seems to be a lost skill but one I highly recommend. There are many students that do not come from a K-12 system where study skills are a focal point so this causes real issues when they get into higher education. For those students that have been out of school for many years such skills may just have been forgotten. Thanks for your post and keep up the great work.
James Jackson
Chad, how would you rate the overall scoring on your tests? If your class performs better than most that make use of quizzes and reviews then your process would be considered a success. If you have not conducted some level of review of the outcomes of your classroom objectives and how those relate to other similar courses I would highly recommend conducting such a review.
James Jackson
Ronald, glad to see others have not been punished by losing out on the review. As long as you never have the pull the trigger on this one I can see the value but I would have a hard time taking a review away from all students due to a few bad apples.
James Jackson
I have to say wow! It had never occurred to me that anyone would use the threat of a quiz as a disciplinary tool. I do sometimes use quizzes, but when I do they are only practice tests that are not counted as a grade and provide the students with an opportunity to get a glimps of what the real graded test wil lokk like.
My goal in doing so is to encourage their level of confidence and security when test time does come, so that they are more comfortable with the testing format and/or the type of questions they will be able to expect. I also never try to make a practice test too easy so as not to build overconfidence. I think it's a good thing when a student misses a couple questions on a practice quiz, so that they can learn from these mistakes and feel more comfortable later that they will be able to perform well on the graded test. It also gives me the opportunity, when I see a lot of students miss one particular question, to improve the method I used to teach that particular point.
The use of a quiz as a disciplinary tool will only decrease the student's sense of security in your class, and probably reduce his performance as his anxiety level increases.
All students come into a class with some fear of tests. This is especially true for students who have been out of school for a lengthy period of time, but is also true for many students who are just entering college for the first time.
The first thing I do is get to know my students and help them to get to know one another by pairing them or grouping them and having them share information about each other with the class.
I also share information about myself and include the kind of tests that I give and the success rate of former students who have taken the same class in the past. I let them know that most of my students do very well on their tests and on the other class requirements and end up with very good grades in my classes and that I expect them to be successful. I also let them know how important class attendance is and how I often point out things in class discussions that will be on their tests and that if they listen carefully and write these tips down they will be ahead of the game.
We also talk about attitude and beliefs and how they affect success in the classroom and that if they believe they can be successful and attend regularly and participate and read and study the assigned chapters before they come to class that they will be successful. I explain to them that they will not be rushed on tests and if they need additional time on a test that they will get it. I am not concerned about them finishing a test in a particular period of time but am more concerned that they carefully read and answer each question and that they do not leave anything blank. They should put forth their best effort on each and every test. I also let them know that I give partial credit.
In addition, I review study tips like answering the easier questions first and looking for answers in other questions. I point out that their first thought is usually the correct one and that when they change answers they are often changing them form correct to incorrect. We review skills for each type of test they will take like true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blank and essay tests and discuss how to answer each type of question. I also let them know that we will review just before each test and if they pay attention that will be a great asset to them in taking the test.
We go over note-taking as a part of the class and the different ways of taking notes, both traditonal and non-traditional methods, and how they should take notes in a way that helps them and that each person takes notes differently. We talk about study teams and sharing information and asking each other questions and predicting what will be on a test in advance. We also talk about the different ways to study and how that varies with each person but that they should review their notes each day immediately after class instead of trying to cram for a test the night before. We also discuss arriving early and doing a quick review of a few important items just before the test and then trying to relax. We do some relaxation techniques and sometimes I even have them let out a loud scream to relieve stress. We also review the importance of getting a good night's sleep the night before a big test.
As you can see from my answer I agree with Barbara Egerer in that we have to take steps to relieve test anxiety.
I also agree with Barbara Egerer that once students have taken a test that I need to review the test with them and give them tips on how to do better the next time and also let them know that most of my students do better and better with each test they take. I also let them know the kind of questions that will be on the next test and exactly what it will cover.
I definitely agree with Barbara Egerer that we should not use tests to punish or threaten students. I always encourage students to make up a test when they miss one and push them to make up all missed assignments which helps them to have a better grade and a better feeling about their success in the classroom.
Also, I treat my students as adults and respect them as individuals. I let them know that I expect them to be successful and that I will be there to do everything in my power to help them and encourage them to get help when they need it.
I conclude classes by having my students evaluate my instructional methods and my classes and encourage them to make suggestions to improve them for the next group of students that I teach. I tell them that evaluation is a two way process, and thank them for giving me the opportunity to instruct them. I wish them success in the future and encourage them to contact me if I can ever help them in any way.
Barbara Bray
I would never use a quiz or test as a threat; that is simply ridiculous. All of me tests dates are included on my assignment sheet for the quarter which is handed out the first day of class. Since the career school I teach at now requires we "correct" homework, I give an assignment each class that I correct, which takes the place of quizzes. I only check daily text assignments for completion, since I teach math and it would be impossible to check every problem in a timely fashio to provide feedback. Students are allowed to do a 2nd version of the corrected assignments with no penalty. These take the place of quizees and provide them and me with feedback. I do give a pratice test as homework and review before tests. I also encourage students to correct errors on tests, for part credit. All of this goes to greater security and autonomy for the students.
I feel that this would be the wrong way to address a class of students. If the students are not compliant my class loses the review they would have made before the test. I have a little game I play and I learned it from another instructor. If the students are not listening during a lecture I start a game of hang man. Every time someone is disruptive I draw a body part. If the body is complete the class an s a whole loses the review. I have yet to complete the body due to the rest of the class self-polices the behavior in class.
phillip, great post and points out the importance of mental preparation is just as important as knowing the material. For some reason there are a large group of instructors that are actively involved with students that have no understanding of learning disorders and how the number of students today with some form of learning disorder is larger today than any other time in our history and all indications suggest the number will continue to rise. What this means for us as instructors is we need to read up on the best practices of knowing when we may want to direct our students to specialists. The ability to determine if a student has a learning disorder is not easy and this does not imply that we ignore the fact that some students are just lazy and do not want to do the work but it does make an already complex situation more complex by throwing in the issue of even smart and dedicated students may not do well on tests. The more we get to know our students the more we can identify the root cause of their lack of performance on tests.
James Jackson
I go over the general questoins, I don't ask the same question but a variation of the same question....
Fear of tests is a huge factor with everyone.I have seen half a class fail a test because an instructor had the class upset, by telling the class that most students fail the test he was about to hand out. I have found that things go much better when you encourage students just before a test,
Ranee, great point and one I agree with 100%. Words develop pictures in our minds so knowing which words to use can be critical. Discuss such language issues with your students as part of the first day meeting. How would they like the assessment part of the class to be managed so it is less stressful? When students feel they are part of the solution they will more readily participate in your lesson plans.
James Jackson
Tim, the assessment portion of curriculum development is a key piece of the teaching and learning equation. Using testing as a means of punishment is not typically a formal part of a curriculum so I totally agree we as instructors need to avoid using testing as a means of punishment. Every assessment should have a strategic role in how to achieve the learning objectives.
James Jackson
I find that most of the time if you replace the word Test with something like Assessment, students find it less threating, they sometimes carm down and do better than when they see the word Test.
I am amazed when I hear an instructor talking about a pop quiz as a way to get them to study. Statements like,"if they are talking about the material, OK, if they are visiting then I will give them a test.
I enjoy working with students who struggle with written test. We have a way of coaching students to take a common sense method of approaching test. This step-by-step procedure puts them in charge of the test and helps eliminate the confusion and anxieties that they have. Once they feel in control of the exercise, the fear goes away.
Giving a test or the threat of a test as a means of discipline is a terrible idea. We have guidlines of expectations for our students and deal with discipline around those expectations.
Jamie, excellent post and 100% accurate. Not all failures on a written test indicate a lack of understanding of the materials and this is why it is critical that instructors take the time to fully understand their students. If you suspect some form of learning disorder or issue with communication we as instructors have a responsibility to discover such issues and do all we can to assist our students. Keep up the great work.
James Jackson
Lacey, do you evaluate in any way for learning disorders or communication issues? If a student does well in a practical skills test but fails a written test it may not be their lack of knowledge of the subject matter but could be a form of learning disorder or some issue with communication.
James Jackson
I believe that using the a quiz as discipline would undermine a students motivation during a course (and possible through out their education at the school) and would not likely result in a positive behavioural change anyway.
I often find that the fear that students feel surrounding tests comes from their own lack of confidence usually surrounded by a limited reading/comprehension skill set. Sometimes them just knowing that a question can be read to them or re-worded can help eleviate some of that anxiety.
Some student and myself really freak out when they here the word TEST. I think that is important not to use a test as discipline or a threat. I have also had students that really dont do very well on tests, however when testing on their practical skills they do very well. If this is the case I make sure to point this out to them to try to build their confidence.
Jim, do you have any data on how well students perform on the "hands-on" assessments versus more traditional question/answer based assessments? Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson
