Why Pre-Test?
Why Pre-test? Pre-testing provides a number of benefits from estabishing baselines to guiding instructional design. Learn how you can use pre-testing to improve instruction and learning.
A pre-test is an assessment administered before a person is exposed to instruction or training. You may be thinking, if someone hasn't completed a unit of study, what's the point in testing them? Pre-tests can actually offer quite a bit of value.
Depending on your goals, pre-tests can help you in a number of ways. Here are just a few...
Obtain a Baseline for Each Student ¶
Pre-tests are a great way to get a baseline for each student. Pre-test results can help you understand what a student already knows—where they are now. Pre-test results can give you a sense of how far a student has to go to master a subject area.
By having a baseline for each student, you also have a starting point from which to measure a student's improvement. Individual baselines are necessary to measure each student's progress. It's impossible to know how much a student has improved, if you don't know where they started. Final exams by themselves can't measure that.
Understand What Areas Need the Most Improvement ¶
A pre-test allows you to see what students already know before you begin instruction. You can use this knowledge to tailor your instruction to focus on the areas of greatest need. It may turn out that you only need to touch on a certain area because most students already have a pretty good understanding of it. You can then devote greater time and attention to other areas that may require more focus.
Pre-testing is great for tailoring instruction to a specific group, but it can also be helpful to shape your instruction/curriculum over time. If you begin to see patterns in what groups do and do not know time and time again, you can use this to redesign your training or curriculum.
Introduce the Material ¶
Finally, pre-tests can serve to introduce the material. It's like reviewing course objectives in an interactive fashion. Pre-tests introduce students to material that they can expect to encounter throughout a unit of study. By having an idea of what material will be covered and what will be expected of them, learners are better prepared for what to expect before a unit of study even begins.
These are just a few of the benefits of pre-testing. If you're looking for a simple solution for pre and post-testing, give Yrstick a try today for free.
Need a simple solution for pre and post-testing? Try Yrdstick.
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