by Alison Blackman, PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, University of Maryland Medical Center
Testing and
assessing student knowledge appropriately in the classroom is an area of
education that I feel is often subjective and left up to the opinion of the
educator. Having completed my higher education, I have seen a multitude of
different testing strategies – some that I felt were successful, while others I
did not view as effective. Testing is inevitable in the classroom. However, I
believe it should be an extension of education rather than solely being viewed
as a grade. Herein, I will be discussing various ways testing can be creatively
integrated into the classroom as a learning tool.
Pre-Tests
There are many techniques discussed for
how testing can be incorporated in the classroom. One article discusses three ways to use testing
as a learning tool.1 Some of these strategies include handing out
pre-tests, spacing out information/exams, and utilization of recitation
activities such as “think pair share” and other activities outside of lecture. The
strategy that I found most interesting revolved around the idea of pre-tests.
The article highlights the following, “The mere act of guessing engages your
mind in a different and more demanding way than straight memorization or being
fed answers.” Another article hypothesizes further that pre-tests
may enhance learning by acting as tools to prime the brain for what is
important and providing multiple possible answers for the tester to second
guess themselves in order to truly assess their knowlege.2 Getting
information wrong by guessing helps the brain recall information more rapidly.
2 This particular article highlights that “failure” is a tool that aids
the mind in memorization.
Exam Questions: Open-ended vs.
closed-ended
Another
area of contention that I found in my search was the utilization of open-ended
exam questions versus close-ended questions. One study analyzed the use of
open-ended questions in an engineering program.3 The authors of the study
point out that closed-ended questions require only one correct answer, whereas
open ended questions require critical thinking and an in-depth understanding of
the subject. What was interesting to me is that the authors of the study
suggested that open-ended questions should make up 10-20% of a final exam –
recognizing this is not a well-studied suggestion. I pose a counter question as
to why an educator should not make up an exam that is all open-ended questions.
It was the open-ended exams during my pharmacy school education that I retained
the most information and still recall that information today. However, it
should be noted that this is an opinion of the writer and it is recognized that
the logistics of this testing method may be difficult in a large classroom
setting and opens the door for students to criticize that the teacher had
biases while grading. On the other hand, the article by Carey suggests that exposing students to
multiple-choice exams allows the student to question whether they truly know that
answer by seeing other options.2 Regarding final assessment, and in
the context of pharmacy school, I disagree with the overuse of multiple-choice
exam questions. I see where the author is coming from in that if I student
confidently knew the answer, they would select it correctly; however, I think
that multiple choice exams limit the amount of information to be tested and are
not always an accurate measure of students’ knowledge on the subject.
Another
testing strategy that I found interesting, especially in the context of
pharmacy school was an article that focused on a team, case-based examination
in a patient safety and informatics course.4 Rather than the
traditional test, professor developed higher level activities. Utilizing
previous strategies discussed, the course also administered a pre- and post-
survey for students to self-reflect upon their ability to perform what was
taught in the class. Overall, the mean score on the exam was 93.6% and 81% of
the students reflected that the exam was beneficial for their learning. It is
recognized that this mode of testing is not feasible in the majority of
subjects, but may be an option in lab or more “hands-on” courses.
Overall,
there are many ways to test student knowledge. Some ways promote learning over
others. When discussing teaching, educators being aware of various student
learning styles is often a hot topic. It seems to me that testing is something
that should fall under this category, however it is not often emphasized. I
believe that educators should be aware of student assessment styles as well as
strategically select appropriate testing strategies in order to enrich student
learning. Optimal assessment of knowledge will always be an area that is
debated as education evolves. As a future teacher, whether it is in the
classroom or as a preceptor, I will try my best to incorporate creativity and
be aware of testing options that promote learning rather than fear of a grade.
References
1. Pillars W.
3 ways to use testing as a learning tool. Education
Week. 2015. Accessed September 2, 2017 <http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/
2. Carey B.
Why flunking exams is actually a good thing. The New York Times Magazine. 2014. Accessed September 2, 2017 <
https://www.nyt
3. Husain H, Bais
B, Hussain A, et al. How to construct open ended questions. Social and Behavioral Sciences.
2012;60:456-462
4. Beckett
RD, Etheridge K, DeLellis T. A team, case0based examination and its impact on
student performance in a patient safety and informatics course. The American Journal of Pharmaceutical
Education. 2017;81(6):Article 117
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