Students: Write Your Own Test Active Learning with the Q

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Students Write Your Own Test!!Active Learning
with the QA Format

• Richard Clendenning
• CCSU Student Success Faculty Development Grant
• Spring Semester 2004

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Motivation 1Preparing Students for Class

• Class time can be used much more effectively when
  students come to class prepared

• They are more likely to come to class with
  questions
• They will understand the lecture better
• They are better prepared to participate in
  learning activities

• Students are bored when they dont understand
• But when they are prepared for class

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Motivation 2Writing to Learn

• Simply reading or reviewing material often
  results in a poor grasp of the material
• The research has long recognized the importance
  of writing in the learning process
• Good writing requires critical thinking
• Let students write their own tests!

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The QA Format

• Students are assigned material to read
• Students write at least three questions with
  answers that capture key concepts in their
  reading
• And post them on WebCT Vista before class
• In class we discuss these questions and answers

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Problems

• Motivating students to prepare for class?!
• Requiring every student to write about the
  material before every class

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Solutions

• Use WebCT Vista to
• Eliminate paper
• Verify time of submission
• Display submissions during class for discussions
• Grade
• I check students off (I dont evaluate their
  content)
• Result
• The QA Format is not time-consuming!

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Research Project Questions

• Can students be motivated to prepare for class?
• What are student perceptions of this format?
• Do they feel it helps them learn?
• Do students participate more actively in class
  discussion and activities?

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Can students be motivated to prepare for class?

• Yes (if it is part of their grade)!
• On average, 69 of the time students prepared the
  QA for class
• They were only required to turn in 6 of 7 (86)
• but received extra credit for more
• It counted 15 of their course grade
• Dropping outliers, 77 of the time students
  prepared for class

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Student Perceptions

• Have the QA helped you understand the in-class
  lectures and activities?

• This gives me more motivation to read the
  material. I find myself understanding concepts
  better that I have heard many times.

• Yes, having to really manage my time, this
  approach forces me to take a few moments to
  read the chapter in sections, with a more
  thoughtful approach to the content.

• Yes, it provides an incentive for me to read and
  understand the information in order to write
  intelligent questions.

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Do students participate more actively in class
discussion and activities?

• Two observations were done
• Jon Preston
• Students seem to have been well-prepared to
  answer questions (based upon their previous QA)
  also new material
• Lou Jourdan
• All parts of the engagement strategy went well.
  The pairs of students doing the
  encryption/decryption went very well.

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Problems

• Coherence problems
• The assigned reading, the in-class discussion and
  activities, and the assessments must be tightly
  integrated
• Research problems
• No control group
• Small classes (30 students in two sections)
• Vista problems (students were allowed to submit
  their QA on paper)

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Conclusion

• Students can be motivated to come to class
  prepared
• And with WebCT Vista, without stressing the
  teacher!
• Students writing their own test helps them
  process and understand material better
• And helps them contribute more in class
• Students want more active learning!

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Photo Credits

• http//www.sprachcaffe.co.uk/brighton_university.h
  tm
• http//www.smu.edu/teacher_education/reading/mrt.a
  sp
• http//www.fotosearch.com/BDX325/bxp59505/
• http//ntc.memphis.edu/MentorAcademy1Photos.asp