shawna

As a preservice teacher, I am called upon to do a great many things, including writing my own tests.

Yes, you read that correctly. Here I am writing my own final exam. I have to write six questions, one question for each of the six stages of Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Domains.

Three questions have to be about Classroom evaluations and assessments, and three questions have to be about Standardized testing.

I have to write the questions, and the answers, and then explain how the question fits under the Taxonomic classification I have designated it to be.

Then I have to print every thing out: The test, The answer key, The explanations, AND an answer sheet. Tomorrow, when I turn these papers in, the test is going to a randomly selected group of my peers, as is the answer sheet, where they (and me, but for one of their tests) will have to not only answer the question, and say the taxonomy, and what chapter in the book the question comes from.

Let me explain how difficult this is. The test has to be information that I know, so I can "pass", but the test can't be so obscure that my fellow peers won't get it, because they'll know it's my test they're taking and it's part of their final grade too.

Then factor in all the facts that my fellows could have in their questions, and the stupid Taxonomy definitions (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation).

So... here's what I've come up with (the answer key).


1. Ch. 14. Knowledge: Which two standards are effective for assessing a classroom?
a. Learning and Motivation.
b. Homework and Tests.
c. Participation and Understanding.
d. Validity and Reliability.


2. Ch 15. Comprehension: Why are teachers important to standardized testing?
Answer: Test selection, student preparation, test administration, interpreting and communicating results to students and caregivers.


3. Ch 14. Application: For the purpose of ensuring the reliability of any form of alternative assessment:
a. Apply a prepared list of criteria.
b. Give students multiple-choice quizzes.
c. Observe students systematically.
d. A and C.
e. A and B.
f. B and C.


4. Ch. 15. Analysis: Standardized tests are often criticized for what reasons, and what do some critics suggest be done to overcome these flaws?
Answer: Standardized testing discourages innovation, encourages low-level thinking/rote memorization, and discriminates against students from cultural minorities and those who are non-native English speakers.
Critics suggest that standardized testing overcome these flaws by allowing for performance evaluations.


5. Ch 14. Synthesis: Which of the following is the best example of Formative Evaluation?
a. Final Exams.
b. Letter Grades.
c. Portfolios.
d. Quizzes.


6. Ch. 15. Evaluation: What is the purpose of standardized testing?
Answer: To measure students' ability to acquire knowledge, capacity to think and reason abstractly, and the ability to solve novel problems. They also efficiently assess the educational achievements of large numbers of students.

What do you think, too hard? Too easy? *shrug*


EDIT: speaking of tests, I made one of those stupid quizzes...

Here. Try it!