Using Exams as a Formative Exercise
Generally, exams are viewed as summative assessments designed to measure the degree to which students have mastered course concepts and material. Traditionally, instructors provide educational resources, students are tested over course concepts, and then both instructors and students move on to the next set of course material. This sequence sets up a situation in which students have little motivation to review their mistakes or correct conceptual errors. Thus, while the exam provides an assessment of student understanding at a given point in time, it does nothing to promote further learning or continued investigations. In addition, the constraints of a typical exam (high-stakes pressure, time limits, etc.) create an environment in which many students make careless errors, thus the exam may not be an accurate measure of student understanding. Ideally, instructors are interested in measuring a student's ability to master course information, not the student's ability to test; thus designing exams to serve both a summative and formative purpose can assist instructors in enhancing the effectiveness of traditional exams. The following ideas may assist instructors in altering traditional exams to promote enhanced student understanding:
Personal Test Analysis and Correction
| Description |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
Tips for Implementation |
After receiving graded test,
students are required to review and correct all missed questions. | Encourages active review of
missed concepts | Promotes students' active
participation in the assessment process | Improves students'
metacognitive awareness of test-testing errors | Prevents harsh penalty for
errors unrelated to understanding of course material | Ensures review of incorrect
knowledge |
| Time consuming to grade
corrections | Instructors must provide
structure and guidance for the correction process | May decrease motivation to
study for initial exam |
| Require students to include the
page number where the correct answer can be found | Have students identify the
reason for the error | Have students write a sentence
demonstrating understanding in a novel context | To ensure preparation for
initial exam, only award partial credit for reworked problems |
|
Detailed Investigation
| Description |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
Tips for Implementation |
Students review graded tests to
identify general conceptual errors; then students complete a written report
providing detailed information about the target information. | Ensures that students gain
in-depth knowledge of concepts that were particularly difficult | Encourages active review of
related concepts | Emphasizes the
interrelationship of course concepts |
| May not be feasible if there
are many unrelated concepts | Time consuming to grade
detailed investigations | Students may have difficulties
investigating a concept that they do not accurately understand |
| Provide detailed guidelines
about what is expected in the investigation | May want to include explanation
of concept in relation to related material |
|
Mastery Test Approach
| Description |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
Tips for Implementation |
| Students must review and retest until they demonstrate a predetermined level of understanding. |
| Encourages competency-based assessment of learning objectives | | Reduces the stress of
high-stakes testing | | Provides detailed feedback of
conceptual errors | | Promotes active review of each
assessment |
| | Requires that multiple-versions
of each test are available | | Students progress through
material at their own rate | | Time consuming to administer
and grade multiple exams | | Students may require
individualized assistance to reach predetermined level of understanding |
| | Administration and grading may
be facilitated by the use of teaching assistants | | Ensure that each exam is an
equivalent measure of learning objectives | | Provide timelines and deadlines
for mastery of each test | | Computer-based testing reduces
administrative demands on instructor |
|
Optional Comprehensive Test
| Description |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
Tips for Implementation |
| At the completion of a term,
students are given the option of taking an optional comprehensive test to
replace their lowest exam score. | Promotes active review of all
exams | Ensures motivation to prepare
for each exam | Encourages integration of
information from various aspects of the course | Requires minimal time and
preparation for the instructor | Reduces stress caused by poor
performance on a single exam |
| Requires an additional test day | May decrease student motivation
to perform well on initial exam |
| Be sure that the comprehensive
final covers all relevant learning objectives | May want to structure exam to
target topics that were particularly difficult for students |
|
Review of Common Testing Errors:
- Misunderstand directions - Errors that are the result of failure to read or understand the directions.
- Carelessness - Errors caused by rushing or failure to review the exam.
- Poor testing strategies - Errors due to poor test-taking strategies such as high anxiety, failure to complete problems, changing answers, spending too much time on a single problem, incorrectly marking responses, leaving answers blank, etc.
- Ineffective study habits - Errors caused by lack of preparation or focus on incorrect information.
- Conceptual confusion - Errors that are the result of a misunderstanding of course information.
- Inability to apply information - Errors that occur when a student has a basic understanding of course concepts, but is unable to effectively utilize this information in novel settings.
Resource Links:
-------------------
Questions concerning the Park University Faculty Development: Quick Tips website should be directed to
Dr. Jean Mandernach jean.mandernach@park.edu.
Reference citation:
Mandernach, B. J. (2003). insert appropriate page title. Retrieved insert date, from
Park University Faculty Development Quick Tips.
^ Back to the Top
---------------------------------
University Resources
|
