Test anxiety
With the exception of one or two courses, our students rarely have to study for, and write, tests. We evaluate their progress primarily through writing-based assignments. We rate and rank them on their abilities to think, plan, analyze and create everything from communications plans to special events to product launch releases.
So, when students learn you’ve scheduled a test for next week, immediate anxiety sets it. No matter how often you tell them: “if you do your readings, you’ll be okay,” or “it’s weighted at just 10 per cent of your overall grade,” the questions start tumbling out:
How many questions will there be? What kind of questions? Short answers? Multiple choice? How much will each question be worth? Can I use point form in my answers? Will you only be using chapter readings on a chapter readings test? Are you expecting me to study my class notes too? How much time will we have to write the test? Will the test take place at the beginning of the class or at the end? And, on and on.
Instructors are under tremendous pressure to set tests that (like effective PR plans) meet the objectives of a particular unit of study. Most instructors, including me, aren’t particularly skilled at creating tests. If they’ve had no formal teacher training, they’ve likely never been taught how to construct tests that produce meaningful results.
Even a short 10-question current affairs quiz based on yesterday’s headlines isn’t simple. An awkwardly phrased question (e.g. on what Toronto street did a huge fire take place yesterday?) will be open to interpretation. Some students will answer Queen Street. Others Queen Street West. Others will answer Queen and Portland. When you point out that you wanted them to identify just ONE street correctly, some will argue they were close enough with their answer and deserve partial marks.
For the most part, I’m not a big fan of evaluating students’ knowledge via tests, mostly because that’s not how they’ll be evaluated in the world of work.
However, in the teaching/learning process, tests have their place. I’ve worked with many accomplished student test-takers. For them, earning top marks for a test weighted at “just” 10 per cent of their grade means the difference between earning an A and earning a B. And, that’s why I keep attempting the set the perfect test. So students can write perfect answers and feel good about their results.
So, that’s why you were asking me about Portland today! : )
Rayanne Langdon — February 21, 2008 @ 3:50 pm
Ohh Christine,
Even I’m surprised at the lengths some students will go to argue a mark or two.
And from a student’s point of view, all the questions you are bombarded with get annoying for us too, well the students who aren’t hounding you for more test / assignment details.
I will leave their name anonymous, but the exact words “I will kill whoever asks a follow-up question,” escaped a colleague’s mouth just the other day. A teacher asked if there were any questions regarding a newly assigned project (which is comparable to a test) and this was a colleague’s immediate thought. So much like you, some of us students get just as frustrated with annoying questions.
Laurie Scheniman — February 25, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
You certainly nailed the anxiety surrounding a test, right down to the questions.
(Will we have those current events quizzes? :p)
Bonnie Dean — February 25, 2008 @ 5:45 pm