Tests and Quizzes

My attached thoughts on test and quizzes.

Assessment – Quiz and Test Builders

Probably the most traditional assessment tools in education are tests, exams, and quizzes. Tests can take the form of true/false, multiple choice, fill-in-the- blank, essay, or some combination. One of the major strength of tests is the fact that they are traditional and have been commonly used at all levels of education. This lends to familiarity which leads to comfort and automatic acceptance of tests as an effective assessment tool. Another advantage is the flexibility of tests as assessment tools. They can range from short quizzes to comprehensive final exams. They can be simple true/false to conceptual and argumentative essays. The can test memorization, conceptual and/or persuasive ability. They are easy to construct and administer.
Weaknesses of traditional tests seem to be based on the fact that test taking skill can be as important as the technical of soft skills that they are trying to measure in terms of student success. The ability to memorize ideas, formulas, and facts can play a key role in successful test taking. Memorization plays a much smaller role in the workplace and basic life skills where the ability to find and utilize a variety resources appears to be more important. Application of skills, which is difficult in a traditional testing environment, seems to be a better way of capturing real learning. Another weakness in testing is that because of their acceptance, I believe they are overused in education. They seem to be the default tool for assessment. However, this seems to be changing. I work for a Technical College, where hands-on learning and technical skills attainment are emphasized and memorization plays a small role. A final issue with test taking is “test anxiety, where a student performs poorly on the assessment tool because of the tool used to assess rather than the lack of knowledge or skill in the area being assessed.
An application of testing online that I have found to be very useful is weekly quizzes that are taken online. The benefit that I have found is that the student receives feedback on the quiz immediately. I used the test option in Blackboard and when the student finishes the quiz they receive their score, the questions they miss, and the correct answers. The system also allows for feedback options which I haven’t taken advantage of. The fact that I don’t have to grade individual quizzes is a bonus. Since the course is taught online I allow the students to use whatever resources they want. I like open resources testing because it relies less on memorization and more on preparation. It also is nearly impossible, short of proctoring, to keep students from using resources.
The learning objective that I usually address with my online quizzes is comprehension and application of the material covered in whatever text I am using. I use the online quizzes as a “security blanket” which forces the student to do the required reading and gain a basic understanding of the material and concepts covered in the class. I use different methods of assessments; group projects, case studies, presentations, and final projects to address the learning objectives that include application, problem solving, and creativity. I have found a comfort level in using testing as an assessment tool as long as it is used in conjunction with other forms of assessment.