I use a textbook for my San Elijo class, and the weekly quizzes are from the textbook. The purpose of the readings is to give them the context of the era we’ll be studying that week. I want them to read before coming to class. I’ve created a “study guide” that is really just a list of all possible questions.
Previously, I gave the quiz first thing on Monday, trying to guarantee they’d have their “head in the game” so I could lecture.
This didn’t work. We grade the quizzes together right away, so by the break they know what they got. It seemed to cause Topic Fatigue – they were done with that chapter, so didn’t pay much attention to my lecture, and weren’t all that interested. And the scores! Well, I would have to harangue them about studying for the quizzes. Is this what I’m teaching college for?
So I’ve begun lecturing first on Monday, then we take break. Then I give them 15 minutes in groups to study (most bring printouts of the “study guide”, or they can bring it up on their device). They check their answers, argue, ask questions. Then we take the quiz and grade it together at the end of the period.
This works much better. Today the groups were so engaged in studying that I asked them if they would rather have more time together, and grade the quiz Wednesday instead. 100% voted to keep studying, take the quiz, then grade it next time rather than get their feedback immediately.
A student came up after class and thanked me for the extra time.
Now some might say I’m taking up “too much class” time prepping for a quiz. But here’s the thing. If I’m going to bother to assign a textbook, and write up quizzes designed to test their knowledge of particular things, then this implies that the information is worth spending time on. Instead of floating off into their cell phones as I lecture, they are listening to my lecture for clues and then engaging completely in the material in a high-pressure environment (i.e. right before the quiz).
So I think it’s worth it!
Hi Lisa,
I attended the “Quizzing to Teach Rather than Assess” FLEX workshop this current Spring semester and I had a similar eye-opening experience. I had already decided to convert my in-class free-response quizzes I would give at the beginning of the class into Blackboard quizzes. This was not only to make grading easier, but I got a lot of feedback about the clarity of my questions and felt that rewriting them for Blackboard would be a great way to get both birds with one stone. During the FLEX workshop, encouraging our students to do their readings ahead of time and using the quizzes as a sort of pre-test came to light.
I decided to implement it this semester and gave my students unlimited attempts (up to a certain date), allowing them to use their books/notes/lecture slides, and removing the pressure of the assessment. The idea is to encourage them to do their readings and complete the quizzes as many times as it takes until they UNDERSTAND the material. What a brilliant concept! You said it perfectly, “If I’m going to bother to assign a textbook, and write up quizzes designed to test their knowledge of particular things, then this implies that the information is worth spending time on.” For me though, it allows them to digest the material a bit longer, or at least have even the most basic idea of what we are covering that coming week. I’ve noticed the quality and complexity of questions go up a bit, which usually happens later in the semester as they understand more of the material. Maybe thats a bit naive, let’s say they have no idea what the reading is about and take the quiz enough times until they learn the answers. Worst case scenario, they come in with the answers and we still cover the material in depth so they can understand WHY those answers are correct.
I’m looking forward to seeing the scores each week, as well as the students feedback on the quizzes and how they affected their understanding of the material. It has also freed up a bit of class time for me to do more in-class exercises with them, which they always appreciate.
Just wanted to provide the version of flipping the normal quizzes we have been so used to, and will definitely follow up on any interesting results that may stem from trying out a new teaching method.
Nery Chapeton-Lamas
Computer Science
Hi Nery,
Great Idea! I was wondering when “up to certain date” occurs. Is it before, on the day of class, or after the class when you discuss it in class? This might be trickier for me to do in math, but maybe I can try it next semester.
I hope you have great results!
Julie
Hi Julie,
I can definitely clarify that, let me walk you through a “typical” week for my CS111 students this semester. They would do the reading for the current week, and take the quiz on Blackboard open-everything. The quiz’s are usually available at the end of last weeks lectures (so they have 4-7 days depending on if they’re in a M/W class or Tues. only), and they have until the start of the weeks lecture (M for M/W, Tues for Tues. only). They have unlimited attempts, and I’ve setup the quiz so that it takes the highest grade when the quiz closes (start of lecture). When they come to lecture, we cover the same material they just read but in much more detail, more examples, summary of syntax/convention rules, real-world issues, etc. Finally, at the end of the lecture week, they put these concepts into practice with their homework. The homework is due at the beginning of class the following week, same as their quiz, so they would repeat the above schedule for the new week all over again.
That might have been more detail than you requested, but hope it clears it up! It definitely helps if the students do the quizzes AFTER their homework, as their homework has nothing to do with the new material they will be seeing in the quizzes. Just need to remind them that quizzes are pre-tests. Potential down-side of this is confusion and mixing of new material, but I think it encourages them to start their homework’s earlier and finish them, so that they will have more time with the quiz. We’ll have to see as the semester continues if this happens to be the case.
I could see the same working for a math class, as CS and math have a lot of overlap in applying concepts/rules/formulas in a rigorous manner, while also critical thinking to solve more complex problems that combine multiple concepts/rules/formulas. I try to focus the quizzes on the most BASIC concept I want them to take away from the readings, or highlight common errors they will most likely make. Then in lecture I can give details and context to each concept.
Nery
It sounds like you are saying they take the quiz (it’s like a pre-test) BEFORE you cover it in class. Is that correct? So when you wrote “The idea is to encourage them to do their readings and complete the quizzes as many times as it takes until they UNDERSTAND the material.”, you mean they have to already have a very good idea from the reading and pre-test quiz about the topic before coming to class? I’m not sure I have this right.
Hi Julie,
Apologies for the lack of clarity, yes you are correct. The quizzes are a pre-test to help them learn the material before coming to class. Each quiz is 13 questions for 13 points, so its rather short. I find that its difficult to narrow a whole chapter down to 13 questions, but it forces me to pick the most essential points of the topic/lecture for that week. I mix it up with definitions and examples, as well as the types of questions (multiple choice, multiple answer, fill in the blank, matching, etc.).
When it comes to lecture, I DO NOT assume that they understood the readings. I think that’s a crucial thing I try to remember, as they are still intro students and the book may not explain all concepts equally or the same. Plus I bring in some industry and real-world experience the book usually does not offer. So I find that the lecture isn’t cut down because I am cutting out material, but because they aren’t asking as many questions on the most basic parts of the lecture. I have definitely noticed a decrease in the “I have a question from a couple of slides back…” questions.
Hope that clarifies it a bit more. If it doesn’t feel free to let me know what needs clarification or if you’d like more information/concrete examples. This blog is amazing and giving me so many great ideas and inspiration that I am happy to share my own, even come up with new ones!
Nery
Computer Science
I am going to try this next week. Thanks Lisa!!