Post-test review
Some students who may have done really poor on an early test may feel anxious about learning new information on the next day of class. What are the benefits of a post-test review?
Hi Joe- Great question! A post test review will usually work to ease the fears of students who did not do well on a test because they will be able to see where they went wrong and especially if coached by the instructor, will devise a plan to review the material that they missed. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Post tes review can be an effestive tool to ensure students do not get left behind espcially if the information will be covered later on in the class
Hi Jason- I so very much agree with you! Post test
reviews MUST be done, otherwise students will not know what they missed and have an idea of where they need to improve. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Students need to know they're on the right track in regards to learning a new subject. Post test discussion will reinforce and build confidence.
The main advantage is to highlight the aspects they have missed or not understood, bring them up to par with the rest of the class and help identify aspect they might need to re-work.
Hi Robert - Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, the post-test review is so important for the reasons that you cite. If students get no feedback, they will learn nothing from the assessments that they take. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
On multiple choice/True false tests, I record on a copy of the test the number of students who missed that question. Then I review that with the students, and make notes myself. Sometimes I have had almost all the students miss a particular question, so I review that material with them and I see if I can tell why they didn't get it. Sometimes the question was really tricky in ways I hadn't anticipated, and sometimes we glossed over that concept in the lecture, ...
Hi Daniel - Great job of reviewing your tests with your students! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I also keep track of similar test information. What I have found is that I need to reword the exam question so it is crystal clear to everyone. Another reason some students will miss the same answers is because the instructor did not explain or spend enough time on that particular item. This enables me to fit it in again in a quiz to check for understanding.
HI Cathleen - Thanks for your post to the forum. Good use of post test review information! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I am a firm believer in the benefits of a post-test review with my students. The grades provided to my students are intended to convey the level of their individual achievements while in taking my class. These grades are used by students to track their performances in my class, and when the students are allowed to see both their exam grades, and the actual completed exam, they will learn to recognize their accomplishments and errors.
By reviewing helps to show students where they went wrong. Sometimes they realize they read through the test too quickly or get nervous or get anxious when taking tests. I like to encourage students to take time and not worry about being the first to finish a test...as the first one to turn in a test does not always have the best score. Review helps familarize with questions again and goes over and helps to reinforce the correct answers. Some students also need to understand that sometimes they know the answer and loose focus and taking a written exam is not something to get upset about but are a fact of life and to relax and do your best and having to change style of study might well be in order as well.
Post test review can help the instructor know where the "weak spots" of the lesson were. If the majority of the students didn't understand a concept it can help the instructor to re-introduce the topic in a different way such as asking the students what they didn't grasp about the concept. Or have them voice their own questions about the concept of the lesson they didn't grasp. Perhaps it was the way the test question was worded or the way in which the material itself was formatted (true or false, fill in, multiple choice, etc.). As an educator I value feedback from my students about how they felt about the manner of testing as much as the content of the course. I cant always accommodate their desires (such as not teaching certain unpopular courses that are required by the curriculum, but I can try to at least make the courses as painless as possible and as much fun as I can to learn and participate in.
Hi Ellen - Thanks for your post to the forum. i agree thatb there is a lot that we can learn from our students' feedback. Best wishes- Susan
I also believe that if that content is the base of the class and it needs to be built upon it is important to ensure a proper understanding. So post test review can provide an additional educational opportunity. I like to even do a Q&A on questions that seemed to be missed by the majority of the class. That helps me to grow by learning the best way to cover the material so next time I teach the class I can revise and have more sucessful students.
Hi Aimee - I agree that a post-test review is so important. As you mention, it can give us impput that will assist in revising our assessments. Best wishes - Susan
I have found that doing a post test review can be used as a learning tool. Working in the field I learned some of my best lessons from things I did WRONG. By going back over tests while it is fresh in our students mind we can give them the tools to succeed in the future by learning from their mistakes. I usually can find out WHY some students miss questions on an exam and sometimes adjust my teaching style to make the information more understandable. From the many reviews I have done I have also identified that students many times just don't read a question thoroughly. I can then begin to "coach" students in that aspect of test taking.
That you give them the necessary steps to encourage them on the process. try to start a turtoring session so that the next test can have better results.
Good suggestions, Latasha! Best wishes - Susan
