Some educators argue against using tests. They say students study for tests only at the end of the semester. Students also tend to study when the school year is about to finish, while not working throughout the course. Once the test has finished, students forget all that had been learned. Others added that students become focused on passing tests rather than learning to improve their skills. All these arguments don’t justify eliminating tests at all because there are many reasons and much importance for testing.
Reasons for Testing
- Giving the teacher valuable information about where the students are in their learning.
- Affecting what the teacher will cover next.
- Helping teachers to decide if their teaching has been effective and helps to highlight what needs to be reviewed.
- Assessing teaching as well as learning.
- Giving students a sense of accomplishment as well as information about what they know and what they need to review.
- Motivating and giving students a sense of progress.
- Highlighting areas for students to work on and tell them what has and hasn’t been effective in their learning.
- Encouraging students to review material covered in the course.
- Encouraging students to consolidate and extend their knowledge.
- Tests are also a learning opportunity after they have been taken.
- The feedback after a test can be invaluable in helping students to understand something they couldn’t do during the test. Thus, the test is a review in itself.
Making Testing More Productive
It is very important to remember the negative aspects of the arguments. We should try to minimize the negative effects. We can do the following to make testing more productive.
- Make the test a less intimidating experience. Explain to the students the purpose of the test. Focus on the positive effects it will have.
- Give the students plenty of notice and teach some revision classes beforehand.
- Tell the students that you will take into account their work on the course as well as the test result.
- Hand out the results. Go through the answers fairly quickly. Highlight any specific areas of difficulty. Give the students their results on slips of paper.
- Emphasize that a student should compare their results with their previous scores, not with others in the class.
Learning From Tests
Finally, it is very important to remember that tests provide teachers with valuable information. This information helps improve the evaluation process.
Ask students some questions to evaluate the test. e.g.
- “Were the instructions clear?” “
- Do the test items cover what has been taught?
- “Did I manage to create a non-threatening atmosphere?”
These questions and others be added to help the teacher avoid any pitfalls next time.
Using Alternatives to Testing
Other alternatives can be used instead of or alongside tests such as:
1. Continuous Assessment
Teachers give grades for several assignments over some time. A final grade is decided on a combination of assignments.
2. Portfolio
A student collects several assignments and projects and presents them in a file. The file is then used as a basis for evaluation.
3. Self-assessment
The students evaluate themselves. The criteria must be carefully decided upon beforehand.
4. Classroom Work Assessment
The teacher assesses the learner for work done throughout the course, including classroom contributions.
In Short
Tests should not be the only criteria for assessment, but they are one of many tools that we can use. I feel that choosing a combination of methods of assessment is the fairest and most logical approach.
But tests still have an important function for both students and teachers. We should try to limit the negative effects of tests. This way, we can ensure they are as effective as possible. One important thing to be done to limit the negative effects of tests is writing effective test items.
Are you struggling to create tests that truly measure student learning?
For over 20 years, I have developed, contributed to creating, and administered school tests. During these years, I have noticed one recurring issue. As a teacher and a test builder, it’s really hard to write effective test items.
With this challenge in mind, I’m excited to announce the launch of “Writing Effective Test Questions: The Definitive Guide.”
What is This Guide?
This definitive guide focuses on creating effective test items. It gives teachers step-by-step instructions to progress toward success. Teachers can prepare effective classroom exams with ease and comfort.
This guide includes valuable guidelines that will help teachers avoid pitfalls in testing their students.
This guide is a valuable resource. It is designed for any teacher interested in constructing test items. These items can effectively capture what a student knows.
This guide is comprehensive. I wish someone had shared it with me when I first started creating classroom tests for my students.
