Educational Assessment

Students take test with better preparation and internship skills

To Teach to the Test or Not

There has been a long discussion within our college about whether or not teaching to the test is appropriate. Of course, the test that we

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should we round up grades

Grading Dilemma: Should We Round Up?

Among the trickiest decisions teachers make is whether to round up the final grade for a student who is just a few points shy of a passing score.

Although some students need a “second lap” to master academic skills needed for later coursework, repeating courses makes it harder for students to progress toward a degree. Time is money (literally, in higher education), and when students are asked to spend more of both on a class they already took, they may get discouraged or drop out. This is a consequence we need to take seriously, as nearly half of students do not complete a bachelor’s degree in four years.

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Group testing

Why Open-book Tests Deserve a Place in Your Courses

With the proliferation of learning management systems (LMS), many instructors now incorporate web-based technologies into their courses. While posting slides and readings online are common practices, the LMS can also be leveraged for testing. Purely online courses typically employ some form of web-based testing tool, but they are also useful for hybrid and face-to-face (F2F) offerings. Some instructors, however, are reluctant to embrace online testing. Their concerns can be wide ranging, but chief among them is cheating.

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