| How
to Write a
Test for both |
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Teaching
creativity through testing
The test formats below are roughly listed in order. They start with the formats and types of items that require the most divergent and creative thinking. The last items require the most convergent thinking and least creative thinking. I am writing as an art teacher, but every teacher in every content area needs to consider the merits of helping their students go beyond knowledge. Students in every discipline can be asked to practice and be tested on their habits of creative thinking.
We cannot expect all students to favor tests that ask them to think creatively about what they have learned in our classes. It will be contrary to some of their expectations. However, if we are fair, and if we explain the benefits of learning to do creative thinking, they will have good reasons to push themselves. These ideas may need refinement, but I believe we need to think outside the box in testing if education is to foster creative thinking and better life skills.
You
can combine several or
all of the above formats in a test with
several sections, or you could administer a series of short tests
during the term using a different test format each time to see which
of your students like each of the test formats.
Once
you are comfortable
with the way several of your tests forms work, keep refining them until
you and your students agree that they achieve both valid and reliable
results. A valid test faithfully measures what your
course
teaches rather than general knowledge that many student would know
anyway. A reliable test consistently measures which
students
learned the most and you can be confident that luck was not a major
factor in the results.
Word list below Not all of the words on the list below are suited to all of the test formats. As a teacher, you will want to assemble appropriate lists and take the test yourself before administering it to students. Fellow teachers who agree to read each other's tests can be very helpful in finding problems. If your course consistently requires divergent thinking and imagination, it is quite valid to require this on the tests as well. If your course emphasis is on following directions correctly and being very careful and neat, it would be unfair to require creative thinking on the tests. I think many tests are unfair to highly creative students because most tests do not require creative and divergent thinking. Unfortunately, course content is often taught without asking for enough critical and creative thinking. Open ended options Often I add a test section that allows students to add a limited number of points by listing additional things they learned. Their list of items must be only things that were included in the course and not included elsewhere on the test. This allows creative students to use their imaginations and "smart" students to list things they studied or memorized that were omitted from the test.
Grading the tests
top
of page
Matching is one of easiest test forms to grade, so this part of a test can be done by an aide, or a student volunteer from another class. I format tests so this page can be removed and graded by an assistant. We grade by entering the correct answer next the error using another color ink. We never grade with red ink, because red has a negative reputation. When grading essay or other more creative responses I try to sort out some of the best papers to grade those first, giving me a better idea about how to grade the rest. I make copies of the best and most creative responses, drawing responses, opposites, and so on. These strongest examples are shared with the whole class (not giving student names). I particularly want students with less imagination to have a chance to see and attempt to imitate modes of thinking that produce innovative and imaginative results. As a student, I recall being most frustrated by receiving a low grade without being informed about how a better grade might have been earned. Teachers will need to decide whether or not sharing the best answers is appropriate in their situations. Younger children will often not have the maturity to accept and benefit from this form of instruction. More individualized forms of encouragement and instruction are more appropriate for younger children. However, it is important for me to analyze the kind of thinking that is lacking so that I can find better ways to help students learn creative thinking. When and how to start writing the final exam Writing a rough draft of the final exam is one of the best ways to begin preparing to teach a course. Writing the tests develops a good set of goals and objectives. Assignments will be built around the skills and the body of knowledge that you expect to test at the end. If you write a test that requires creative and imaginative thinking, you will more likely be teaching with similar methods in order to help your students do well on the final. Your assignments will be designed to foster innovative, and creative problem making and problem solving. Writing a test is a creative act in itself. I try to start it when I am rested. I try to start it when I have a block of time without distractions. If this is not possible, I just make some notes and come back when I have more time. This is like making a preliminary sketch or two. The most important thing is to get started. Never wait for inspiration because inspiration often comes out of the work itself. Of course I never actually use the pre-course version of the final exam without editing it to reflect the course as it was taught. I also design houses. I produce a design in collaboration with the owners before the construction starts. This generally requires from four to eight major revisions prior to the final plan. Additionally, during the construction we make frequent changes and improvements on the final plan. The house evolves with the best ideas from owners, builders, and the designer. Tests also get better if we review them periodically as they incubate on the hard drives of our computers. When teaching a course, I may start with a syllabus or set of carefully made final plans based on my previous experiences, but I never follow everything the way it was planned. The students, unforeseen events, and my own experiences always bring new ideas to the course to change it. I always edit my tests before using them. Because of the extensive time and effort needed to prepare good tests, I have always collect all the copies after class review of the results so that they are not given to students the following year. However, I do give students access to study sheets that include words and ideas for them to review in advance. __________________________________ Your ideas related to this page |
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