Putting Students to the Test

Heather R. Theijsmeijer
CASCA Education Coordinator
Email: cascaed@astro.utoronto.ca

At this time of year everybody is swamped with exams. Every semester, it seems there are always students who miss those really easy questions. Sure, there are some students who seemingly refuse to study, but many other bright students just simply don’t do well on tests and exams. This can lead to frustration and a lack of interest on the part of otherwise enthusiastic students.

Experiencing success in a course is key to ensuring that a student stays motivated and continues in astronomy or science, which may eventually lead to more students in these programs at higher levels. Success on tests and exams is just one way of encouraging students.

Many instructors are hesitant in changing their testing style because they do not want to sacrifice the integrity of the course. While the exam (or, any test for that matter) is designed to evaluate the students on their knowledge of course material, there are several ways in which we can make tests and exams a little easier, without changing the content or difficulty of questions.

1. Start with easy questions, end with challenging questions

Begin with low-order thinking skill questions (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, True/False, simple definitions) and then work toward the open ended questions, calculations and interpretation questions at the end of the test. Experiencing success at the beginning can often motivate the student to continue right to the end of the test. It’s much better than being “blown out of the water” on the very first question!

2. Group similar-themed questions together

Within any section of the test (multiple choice questions or long-answer), keep questions on specific topics together. For instance, ask three questions on celestial motion, then two on lunar phases, three on telescopes etc. It is easier for the student to maintain their train of thought on one topic for a few minutes rather than jumping around between topics.

3. Be specific in your questions.

Instead of saying “Compare O stars to K stars,” say “State three differences between O stars and K stars.” This subtle cue tells the writer exactly what they need to do to finish a question and get good marks. On higher-order thinking questions, this also gives the student a better sense of when she or he is done the question and can move on to the next one.

4. Teach test-taking skills.

This doesn’t have to take up much time in a lecture, but reminding students of how to write a test can help them stay focused and better prepare. Here are some suggestions:

• If you are not sure of a question, star it and then come back to it later (ensure you do the ones you know first to make sure you get those marks).
• Unless the marker is taking off marks for incorrect answers, every single multiple choice, true/false question should be answered, even if it is a guess (you may guess correctly!);
• Every 20 minutes or so, look up from your paper, stretch a little and take a few deep breaths to help you clear your mind, relax and then refocus on the next part of the test;
• Read through the test in its entirety first. This will allow you to immediately find the questions you’ll know how to do, and give you a sense of how to budget your time. Some students use this time to highlight key words (such as, “choose ONE of the following”);

5. Show the mark breakdown and suggested times.

On the test or exam itself, breakdown the marks both by section and by question. For example, Part A contains 12 questions, worth 20 marks total. Each question will then have the allotted marks beside it in brackets (square brackets work well as they separate the marks from the question text). Also, include suggested times for each section. This can either go on the cover sheet of the exam, or listed with each part.

6. Be consistent.

Finally, use a template when designing your tests and exams so that the students become familiar with your writing style. Using the same layout and types of questions – always starting with about the same number of multiple choice questions – will help eliminate surprises and reduce stress which can lead to frustration.

All of these suggestions can help reduce student stress and anxiety, making test-taking (and marking!!) easier. Take a look at your recent set of exams – is there a way you can encourage more success from your students?

CASCA education Webteam (2006)