Assessment, Learning & Teaching Reflections |
Monday 12th December
Humans are by nature competitive and while competitiveness varies from person to person and culture to culture, it seems to be something most people enjoy. From early in life we play games, take great enjoyment in improving our own scores and comparing scores with others. Quizzes can be a quick means of providing formative assessment within and in addition to face-to-face sessions. Students enjoy the instant feedback given by online quizzes, which can increase self-esteem, motivation and also give a feel for the depth of understanding required for the module. Using WebCT, feedback can be automated yet linked to the student’s response, for example, direction to a reference.
Within sessions quizzes can motivate students, used over a module they can encourage reflection on the previous topic, and in competitive individuals can encourage preparation for the next session. When based on the previous week’s content, quizzes give an indicator of the depth of content appropriate for the level of study and can aid continuity between sessions. Quiz teams facilitate student-student interaction and allow less confident individuals to speak through team mates. Students have commented favourably on the feedback as a revision aid and ability to increase knowledge in a fun way.
Trudy Hartford
School of Health and Human Sciences
