2. •Establish a pattern of providing learning than
testing
• Shorter tests
• Solidify and “integrate knowledge” (Horton,
2012, p275).
• Shorter tests can relate to larger tests
3. Set a clear passing score
› Range of scores with feedback
Ex- “To achieve an A in this class…”
Pre-test
› Why?
Prepare the learner for the test
› Why they are taking it
› What they will be test on
4. • Please follow the link to view the video from edutopia
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-assessment-school-of-the-future-
introduction-video
11. True/False Tests ability to make judgments, design so that they
require thought
Pick-one Identify one correct answer in a list.
Pick-multiple Identify more than one right answer or make a series
of related judgments
Fill-in-the-blanks Learners demonstrate they have learned names.
Matching list Measure knowledge of relationships.
Sequence Put items in order “by some rule or according to
some principle” (Horton, 2012, p.235).
Composition Learners write an essay, draw a picture, etc. Use to
evaluate creativity or complex knowledge.
Performance Test whether or not a task can be performed.
13. Tip #1
› Ask multiple questions from one scenario
Create a group of questions
Make it easy to refer back to the scenario
(Horton, 2012, p.262)
14. Tip #2
› Ramp up the difficulty
Begin with simpler questions
Build the confidence of the learner
“Vary the difficulty of the test questions”
(Horton, 2012, p262).
15. Tip #3
› Keep the sequence short
4-5 questions pop quiz
12- 15 questions is suggested
(Horton, 2012, p.262)
16. Tip #4
› Enable navigation
Allow learners to skip back and forth between
questions
Allow questions all at once
-OR-
Include navigation to skip through pages
18. Option #1-After each question
› “Makes it more like a game” (Horton, 2012,
p. 267).
› Consequence- interrupts the flow of the test
Make allowances for
› Skipping feedback is answers are correct
› Reviewing wrong answers
› Options for review materials
19. Option #2- After completion of the test
› Efficient and Economical
› But Less Fun
Allows for
› More targeted feedback
Learners see feedback once and is not
repeated
Consequence: missing 1 question can
cause learners to miss other related
questions.
20. Tell
› Their score
› What is the passing score
› The effect of their efforts and what to do
next
21. Keep it simple
Tell why it was right
› Be brief
22. Correct wrong answers in a gentle but
clear way
Use a neutral tone
Tell why or what was wrong with the
answer
Don’t embarrass or insult
24. Focus on ways to improve tests
› Teacher evaluation from their own
observations
› Feedback from learners
25. Horton, suggests “making all your test
questions pass a test itself” (273).
Use these 3 questions
› Which objective does this question test?
› Where was the learner taught this objective?
› Can someone with subject-matter
knowledge but minimal reading skills answer
the question?
26. •Best practices
• Consider objectives
• Design test questions around the objectives
• Design a sequence of questioning that fits the
objectives
• Provide timely feedback
• Process the results
27. Horton, W. (2012). E-learning by design. San
Francisco: Wiley.
“Smart Survey.” Survey Monkey. Retrieved
from
s3.amazonaws.com/SurveyMonkeyFiles/
SmartSurvey.pdf
George Lucas Foundation. (2011). What is
authentic assessment.[Video podcast].
Retrieved from www.edutopia.org/stw-
assessment-school-of-the-future-
introduction-video
Editor's Notes
Best practices have proven that a pattern of providing learners an opportunity to learn the material or skill and than test learners on that specific material is better than teaching all the material for a unit of instruction and then testing. Provide learners an opportunity to practice their learning with shorter tests to help solidify and integrate knowledge into their memory. Than if the need arises create a longer test that relates the material that was on the shorter tests.
Whatever method of testing you adopt for a particular unit of learning, keep the following in mind. Set up and communicate to learners what a passing score is. Also providing learners with a range of scores with relevant feedback is helpful as well. For example, you could provide learners with a framework of what a grade of an A looks like for the assessment, What a B looks like and so forth.According to William Horton, author of E-learning by Design, Pre-testing offers many benefits to learners. First, pre-testing can serve to motivate learners by challenging them to fill in the gaps revealed by the pre-test. Second, pre-tests disclose what learning will be covered. Third, checks that prerequisites have been taken, streamlines learning by letting learners skip through material they already know. The final benefit is for the designer, pre-tests help to identify modules than can be left out or reveals additional modules to develop.The final best practice to discuss focuses on preparing learners for the test. Preparing for the test allows learners to ask questions a number of questions. Several of importance are why they are taking the test and what will be on it.
What is authentic assessment? An important question to ask by designers of tests. The following video provides a model of a school in New York that focuses on creating learning opportunities for students that mirror what learners would be doing in real-world models. The teachers at this school believe that one needs to start with an objective or goal and plan backwards: starting with planning the assessment and then designing quick check activities along the way and finally planning the initial activities that will help learners reach the assessment. Please follow the link to view this example.
Developing a relevant learning experience is just as important as developing a relevant test. Having a clear objective in mind will allow for the teacher to know what they are going to measure and achieve.
Guiding questions that can serve to help determine the test goal are what can learns do? One way this can be determined is to create a discriminating task. This task would be developed to separate those who can do the task and exhibit mastery from those who can not do the task and still need remedial learning.
Finally consider what resources will be needed to create the test activity. Consider media elements as well as what technology will be needed for content and delivery.
The next step in test design is creating questions. When designing test questions one needs to still consider the objectives of the test and what kind of information will be needed from the test.
Before writing test questions, consider the following options. Deciding on subjective or objective test questions will depend on the material and objective being taught. Also consider how the questions will be scored. Will the test need to be manually scored or can a computer do the scoring.Once these considerations have been meet begin writing your questions as clearly and directly as possible.
The Smart Survey guide provided by Survey Monkey. Suggests the following model. Be bieif, objective, simple yet specific in writing test questions.
The following chart contains 8 types of questions. The first six are common types of questions that can be scored by a computer and can be created fairly simply and easily.The last two types: Compositon and Performance questions will need to be scored manually and require more from learners in regards to showing their mastery of a skill or concept.
The next portion focuses on questions sequencing best practices.
Tip #1: try to combine a group of questions around the same scenario or passage. Create a group of clearly written questions and make it easy to refer back to the main scenario.
Tip #2- begin with simpler questions to help learners can confidence in themselves and their ability to take the test. Than begin to vary the diffculty of the test questions.
Tip #3- keep the sequence short. A general rule of thumb to follow is 4-5 questions for a pop quiz and no more than 15 questions for further short assessments.
Tip #4 suggests that when designing the test enable clear navigation tools for the learners so that they feel they have control of the test. One can allow for learners to skip back and forth between questions, or see the questions all at once, or allow for navigation that can skip through pages so if a learner is stuck on a question they can go forward and come back to the question later.
Not only can taking a test cause anxiety, but waiting for feedback can be just as nerve-wracking.
Providing feedback in a timely manner is the key. There are two options for providing feedback. First, you can provide feedback after each question. This works best for test questions that are scored by the computer. This option makes it more like a game, however the consequence is that it interrupts the flow of the test. Also learners that are doing well on the test may be bothered by the interruption. Allow for learners to skip feedback if they don’t need to review. However, one would still want to provide feedback to review wrong answers and provide options for review materials.
The second option for feedback is after completion of a test. This option is the more traditional form. It is more efficient and takes less time for the learner when taking the test. But it is less fun. This option allows for the learner to see feedback once in a more targeted approach. However, one consequence for this approach is that if a learner misses a question they could possible miss subsequent related questions.
When providing feedback to learners, tell them what their score was out of the possible score and then provide them with what they can do next. If they are ready of the next lesson tell them so, if they need to review provide options for review materials
When providing postitive feedback, Keeping it simple to allow for momentum of the learner not te be interrupted. Be brief and telling why it was right can help confirm and reassure learners.
With corrective feedback, gently but clearly tell why an answer was wrong. Use a neutral tone, saying “Incorrect”. Tell why the answer was wrong in an objective way and don’t embarrass or insult.
Once the test is over,Best practices for any learning activity is to evaluate and change if necessary.
Focus on ways to improve the test either from the teacher perspective or ask learners for feedback on the testing experience
If the teacher can not answer these questions before delivering the test, a re-write of the test question should be considered.
In conclusion, best practices consider objectives design test questions in a logical sequence around those objectives. Finally provide timely feedback to learners and process the results.
