Pretest Anxiety/Anger
I have considered providing a pretest to assess student skill and comprehension of previous material. However, in the past, when I have done so, I have been met with a considerable amount hostility from students. They often feel that it is unfair to test them without letting them prepare.
I assure them that it will not affect their grades, but this does little to assuage their fears.
Any suggestions as to how I can make the pre-test more palatable?
Hi Attila,
I use pretesting as a means of getting an idea of the knowledge base that my students are bringing into the class just as you do. What I have done is to construct the pretest so it is more problem solving and made it very consumer friendly. So I am able to get the results I need and the students don't see it as a test. So you might want to reformat the assessment so it is more information gathering rather than being seen as testing.
Gary
I have used pre-test under the guise that it is an outline of the subject matter to be learned....When presenting in this fashion, I have been able to identify strengths and weaknesses while allowing the student to understand course content.....
Hi Gregory,
Good strategy. I use pretesting in my courses with great results. They really help me to customize the content for that specific group of students. Sounds like it works for you in this same manner.
Gary
Tell them you will use it as you go through the course for them to re-take items and notice what they have learned.
I agree that calling it "pre-test" is an automatic stress builder. Renaming it as possibly "Course baseline knowledge" or something similar can lessen the anxiety. This gets you the information you are looking for to build for the class and also lets you know who the students are that need more instruction.
Hi Georgia,
This is a good suggestion. The more we can reduce stress for our students the better. They have enough stress in their lives already.
Gary
"Test" makes everyone's heartbeat a little faster and failing a pretest could be discouraging. I think it would be a good idea to compare the pretest against subsequent tests to show the students how far they have come.
I can see a pretest working in a few of the classes I teach, particularly the more advanced courses. The students have already had some training in these areas, during their pre-requisite classes. On the other hand, I teach 2 classes that are completely new subject matter when the students come in. I'm not sure if a pretest would help there, as even the students with the most prior knowledge still tend to need nearly as much instruction as the students with no experience at all.
Andrew,
Good analysis concerning the value of using pretests. The instructor has to determine if and when they will be of value in the instructional planning process.
Gary
