I was giving a test this week in one of my classes, and when I pulled out the test to make copies I looked over it and realized that it needed major reconstructive surgery. I thought back to the things we’ve been learning in class and began the task of fixing the problems, which were numerous:
· Multiple blanks in the stem of some completion questions
· Blanks in the middle of the stem of completion questions
· Not using capital letters for multiple choice alternatives
· Varying length in the multiple choice alternatives
· Using simple True/False instead of modified
· Inconsistent use of columns for multiple choice questions
· Unbalanced coverage of material
It took a while to fix everything, and when I was finished I compared the old with the new and wanted to apologize to the students who had to take the original exam. I proceeded to administer the new test to my students the next day, and after grading them all I got some interesting results:
· Reduction in high missed questions
· A higher class average on the test than previous classes
· Overall, students took less time to complete the exam
· Students were marking questions False for the wrong reasons, which tells me that I need to revisit and clarify some material
Now I need to start fixing the rest of my exams, but the students will probably appreciate it.
Glad to see that you are applying what you're learning in Dr. B's course. You will probably find that you'll want to make quite a number of revisions next year we you revisit your activities, assessments, lesson plans. I am constantly refining and revising all of my materials. It helps keep things fresh and inspiring.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain in the tests. I have the same problems. Dr. Burn's class has really helped me and I know the students as well. I am already changing the upcoming tests.
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