Testing and Assessment
iStudy would like to acknowledge Patricia Nordstrom for revising the content of this tutorial.
Purpose
Have you ever felt like your total academic experience is just one long test? Do you study materials that you are interested in learning about? Or do you simply study so you can pass the next test - and the next test - and the next test? Are you looking forward to graduation just so you don't have to take any more tests? Have you ever considered why testing is important?
This tutorial provides information about testing, assessment, and evaluation. As you work through the materials you will find examples of different types of assessments, as well as what they are intended to measure, and strategies for studying and completing them successfully. You will also learn skills that will help you with your professional career by assisting you in becoming a lifelong learner.
Goals and Objectives
The main goal of this tutorial is for you to learn how to get the most out of assessment, evaluation, and testing opportunities. Upon completion of this tutorial, you will be able to:
- State the differences between tests, assessments, and evaluations
- Determine if you have confidence in your ability to learn
- Understand why developing lifelong learning skills is important to your professional success
- Explain why testing, assessing, and evaluating your progress and understanding is important to both your academic and professional career
- Explain different types of assessments and what they measure
- Apply appropriate study strategies to the different types of assessments
- Use electronic testing tools to improve your study and assessment skills
- Identify strategies to use when completing electronic tests and assessments
- Apply appropriate strategies for coping with assessment challenges
- Identify academic integrity issues associated with assessment
Reading
To learn more about testing and assessment, read about the following:
- Differences between testing, assessment, and evaluation (definitions of test or quiz, assessment and evaluation and the importance of assessment)
- What should you know prior to a test? (things you should find out from your instructor for better test preparation)
- Different types of assessments (tips for preparing for and completing various forms of assessments, including open book exams, interviews and oral exams, math exams, research papers, and class projects)
- Different types of questions (tips for preparing for and completing various types of exam questions, including multiple-choice, true-false, essays, short-answer, fill-in-blank, matching)
- Informal classroom assessment (purposes of different informal classroom assessments, including concept mapping, minute papers, discussion boards/blogs/wikis)
- Alternative assessments (introduction to portfolio assessment and case studies)
- Electronic testing (introduction to eTesting Center and ANGEL quizzing)
- General tips for preparing to take tests and quizzes (additional tips for test preparation, including organizing notes and electronic materials)
- Academic integrity (the importance of academic integrity)
Note: All external links in this tutorial will open in a new window or tab.
Reflective Activity
References
Summary
Instructor's Guide
