Instructor's Guide
Quizzes and Activities
The following are the assignments embedded in the Test Anxiety tutorial:
- Activity 1: Test Anxiety Survey
- Activity 2: Quiz on Preparation Before an Exam
- Activity 3: Quiz on Strategies for Taking an Exam
Relationship to Other iStudy Tutorials
This tutorial is related to the iStudy tutorials on personal effectiveness, including note-taking, active reading, active listening, and stress management.
Therefore, it is recommended that instructors introduce this tutorial to students in conjunction with other personal effectiveness tutorials.
Suggested In-class Methods of Presentation
Begin by introducing the tutorial and having students complete the test anxiety survey to determine their personal levels of anxiety. Some students might find that they have a very low level of test anxiety, however, strategies described in this tutorial for studying, relaxing, and staying focused will benefit all students, regardless of their anxiety level.
After reviewing the goals and objectives for the tutorial, students should read the information and complete the activities. In-class discussions would give students opportunities to apply the tips and suggestions to their personal situations. Small group discussions also work well for this topic.
Key Points
Instructors may want to emphasize the total recommended study time that students should spend on class work:
On average you should spend 2-3 hours outside of class for every hour in class. This means you would spend 45 hours per week on your classes if you had a 15-credit semester. In addition to class work, you most likely have other demands on your time, such as a part-time job, family responsibilities, extra-curricular activities, and so on. A common cause of test anxiety is not scheduling or making enough time to study.
Common symptoms of lack of preparation include:
- Cramming the night before the exam
- Poor time management
- Failure to organize course information
- Poor study habits
- Worrying about past performance on exams and how friends and other students are doing in comparison to yourself
There are three areas students should focus on to combat test anxiety:
- Preparation
- Self care
- Relaxation
Other important areas on which to focus are attitude, when and how to study for an exam, and strategies for the day of the exam and taking the exam.
Assessment
Through observing group and/or individual activities, the instructor may assess student performance. Assessment criteria are as follows (instructors supply the percentage weights):
|
Where |
Domain |
Activities |
% |
|---|---|---|---|
|
iStudy Tutorial |
Knowledge |
The student can identify common mistakes and pitfalls when preparing for an exam. |
|
|
iStudy Tutorial |
Comprehension |
The student can determine goals for reducing anxiety and obtaining satisfactory performance on exams. |
|
|
In-Class |
Application |
The student can develop a semester-long test-taking strategy for coping with test anxiety and improving scores. |
|
|
iStudy Tutorial |
Analysis |
The student can determine if their level of anxiety has been reduced by following the plan they created. |
100% |
