What is the best way to assess your understanding of something learned in a school setting?
By the way, while some personal reflection is acceptable, do not simply react autobiographically; instead, think in terms of the best way to show what you know about any subject. Is it a test, multiple choice, writing of some sort, talking about the subject, or something else?
The best way to access understanding of something learned in a school setting is through a few tests spread equally over the time frame of a class. The test should have multiple parts that are equally weighted. There should be an essay, a multiple choice section, a true and false section, and a fill in the blank section. By allowing all different forms of testing for the student to try, there is a higher chance of the student being able to thoroughly display what he or she has learned. There should also be an option to either participate in the testing or do a presentation/project covering everything that he or she learned in class. This way, students who have testing anxiety, or are simply horrible test takers, still have a way on conveying what they have learned without the pressure of a testing situation. The major issue with schools today is how they refuse to adjust for different learning types. Some people are unable to explain what they learned in front of their peers or instructors, some people just communicate better through essays or tests. Personally, I am horrible at multiple-choice and it is usually that part I do the worst on in tests. If the entire test is multiple choice then I already know that my chances of doing well are lower simply because I am terrible at it; a 25% chance to get it right translates into a 75% chance to get it wrong.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! I would love (and pass) more classes if this were an option. Actually, though I dread public speaking, I tend to score higher on presentations and essays than I do on multiple choice tests. On the sections where you're supposed to fill in the blank or provide a short answer or essay, I usually score so much higher.
DeleteI definitely agree with you, Michelle. I feel that on multiple choice tests it is easier to get tricked, while on an essay or presentation the person is allowed to tell everything he or she knows about the subject.
Deletegreat last line, Michelle.
ReplyDeleteI would say that the best way for a student to show that they learned something from a school setting is to have them apply it to real life situations. Sometimes when I was in high school, the problems at the end of an assignment for my math class were kind of fun because they asked you to solve a problem for a situation that is possible in real life. Problems that depict real life scenarios are useful to students to help them understand the subject more. I believe that if a student truly understands what they learned from school, they can apply it to real life situations or circumstances. Solving real life problems shows how a student is not summarizing what they have learned, but applying what they have learned to make it useful in real life situations. The student can either be given a scenario of a real life problem or physically asked to solve a problem on the spot. Applying and solving is a straight forward and revealing way for students to show that they have understood what was covered in a school setting.
ReplyDeleteI like this! It makes it more enjoyable and makes much more sense for a concept to be presented in a way that relates to the "real" world.
DeleteOh i like this. Whenever i do not understand something i usually rely on examples that apply to a real life issue. There are many times where i would not understand what the professor meant until he used a real life example.
DeleteI would say the best way to assess my understanding of something I learned in a school setting would be a mixture. As a student it is hard to really get tested for something I have learned because sometimes the tests can't really show what I know. Having a mixture of multiple choice, writing of some sort, and talking about the subject can give me a better chance of showing what I have really learned. Because there can be easy questions that are multiple choice and can be to the point. Whereas other times when I had to write an essay in Math I could actually explain the process in my own words and add details I have learned. Moreover, having different types of assessing can help students who might not like multiple choice shine on the other part of the test. Also having these different types of assessment can benefit different types of learners. Plus by having these assessments at different time frames of the class can also help to assess students in schools. Because I know I get test anxiety some times and do not perform the best I can and might have done better in different situations. I have also heard that the brain releases a chemical when you are in stressful situations, and you tend to forget what you learned. For me the multiple choice questions are the ones I struggle with the most and dislike these type of tests. I also dislike true and false questions because the wording is tricky and it always throws me off.
ReplyDeleteYou mean this entire time my brain has been releasing chemicals during tests to make me forget everything I crammed the night before simply because i'm stressed? Sabotage! If science has proven this then schools clearly need to adjust. No more standardized testing, no more finals; There needs to be measures taken to keep us relaxed at all times. Maybe they should have tea served, a break room for people to take naps and get a massage. Maybe we can even have a few days to take the test! I know it might sound a bit out there but in theory this could totally work.
DeleteInteresting! That REALLY explains why I never recall information when I take tests. I remember literally cramming for my driving test, and I read that pamphlet thing so many times the pages were falling out. I had to retake the test 2 times before I actually passed it though. This happens in any situation where I'm stressed. When I interview for jobs, I totally blank as well. :/ I definitely agree with the multiple-day tests and mid-test massages, too Michelle! :D
DeleteI completely agree with you. I tend to have test anxiety as well and heard that caffeine can make someone more stressed. So while I am studying all night for tests, drinking monsters or other caffeinated drinks to keep me awake, it only makes me more stressed when I am taking the test. If only I knew this when I started college.. :/
DeleteYou reminded me of a physio class I took with Dr. McBride. He told us if we ever want to sound smart at a party, we should say something like "oh you must be under a lot stress, you must be releasing a lot of adrenocorticotropic hormone right now, it must be effecting your adrenal gland." It's found it hilarious and interesting. You writing about it, reminded me of it.
DeleteMichelle great point it would make sense to help students relax during those stressful times. Although they do say that that chemical lasts about an hour, so maybe schools can adjust to that.
DeleteI agree that a mixture is a good way to show what you learned. I also think that sometimes the true and false questions are the hardest because I worry that one word could mess the whole answer up. Indeed very challenging but that's why mixture is good.
DeleteI would have to agree with Diana as I believe that practical application is important. It is nice to know different things about different subjects. But if I do not apply advanced calculus in everyday situations then I say don’t learn it to begin with. Unless you’re an engineer sending rockets to the end of the universe, or a math teacher, then the average person taking the class is not going to be applying it to everyday situations. Problem solving is important but I feel that if something cannot be applied to a real life situation then it is pointless to learn it to begin with. I think it is great that tests are a part of college level courses but I feel that multiple choice tests do not do justice in comparison to being thrown into a real life situation. A person may be the greatest test taker, or writer, on earth but cannot act in a real life situation. Being able to share the knowledge learned is really the true test of learning. I can know everything in the world but if I cannot communicate that knowledge to another person… it is useless. Could you imagine a world in which an IPOD was thought of but the very idea of it was not communicated? There would be no IPOD. I think in modern education communication is not emphasized enough, which leads to a nation of people who are unable to talk to the person next to them. You may have the cure for cancer but the idea is absolutely inept if you cannot share that idea for practical application.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about how multiple choice test does not help us with real life situation and problem solving is important (even thought I hate problem solving).
DeleteYup, you may learn something but if you cannot see how it applies to real life and in what terms, you may lose it and then what would have been the reason for learning.
DeleteI would say that the best way to assess my understanding are multiple choice, talk about the subject and writing of some sort, and drawings (if it’s related to science). I don’t like true or false because it’s tricky. Even if you get 50-50 right or wrong, I tend to choose the wrong one which drives me insane. For everyone who has testing anxiety or struggle, it is better to have a mixture of everything and this also makes the test more interesting. Because if it’s just all multiple choice problems, or just writing, the test gets really boring and a test taker might even lose their concentration. From my experience, the best way for me to remember everything is to rewrite them over and over until it sticks in my head every day. Then when I think I got it, I talk to myself and say the words out loud. What I learned from the past is that after lectures from a certain class, I go over my notes that same day or the PowerPoint and rewrite them on my notes. And whatever the lecture is about that week, I go over again during the weekend and prepare for the next lecture. This study technique prepares me really well for the incoming exam. This is good for any subject, because you never know that a professor might surprise you in one or few of those questions on the test. Also, exercising in between helps you remember of what you just learned while taking the test, no matter how busy you are, exercise because this helps you stress free and you feel more energetic.
ReplyDeleteI think your study techniques are amazing! I try to revisit the material gone over that day in lecture within the same day, but I sometimes find it hard to find the time to do so. Other times when I go over material I haven't learned in class its sometimes confusing, but after doing so the material in class is easier to understand.
DeleteI agree Romalyn about the mixture of everything on a test. With a mixture you can use critical thinking for each type of question. Whether the question is multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, or short essay I think a mixture of all of them could help you understand what was right and wrong.
Deleteelizabeth: it takes time to get use to it. and going over a material before lecture helps. and take the opportunity to study whenever you have a chance, i would say at least look at your notes once a day.
DeleteThe best way to access my understanding I learned would be by doing the same type of problem over and over again. For example, when trying to understand the topics in math, I would do the problems over and over again until I understood completely what the topic was about. For English or any other subject, the best way would to read the passage of question over and over again until you have a better understanding. For test purposes, the best way is to learn from multiple choice and matching. For multiple choice, you would have a 50% chance of getting the question either right or wrong. For matching, you could have a better understanding of the word or statement your trying to match to. From experience, multiple choice works better for me than true or false and fill in the blank. With multiple choice, I read the question and the possible answers over and over again to see which is the best answer to the question. Matching helps me try to use critical thinking to see what statement matches with what answer. The best way to help with better understanding the material you learned in general, is to just keep going over it. To prepare for exams, I would go over any notes or powerpoints I have over and over until I understood the material completely.
ReplyDeleteI agree, repetition is the best way to learn math problems. I do it over and over until I completely know how to do it on my own.
DeleteI agree with both of you because for many years I struggled with math and repetition helped me. That was the only way I would learn to understand and recall it during a exam.
DeleteIt's a toss up between talking about the subject and repetition. If I do something over and over then eventually I will get it. But that totally depends on the subject. For math, repetition is absolutely the best way I can show I understand something. If I do not repeat the same type of problem over and over again, then it is highly unlikely it will ever stick with me. But with other subjects, such as English, Science, History, and any type of Business oriented class, it is by simply talking about the material with classmates. I will know if I understand something just by seeing if I can explain it to others so they can understand it. If I am unable to do so, well, then I know I do not know the material that well. But talking about it with somebody else helps things stick in my head much easier. It involves socializing while learning at the same time. If something is wrong with what I am saying about a subject then it could be corrected by somebody else. I may have never caught that problem if I was simply going over material by myself. Having somebody else around and having the ability to talk about class related things with them is a tremendous help. I am a forgetful person so I have to stick with these two methods to make sure I actually understand what it is I am learning in school.
ReplyDeleteI also find speaking about the material helps. It is a great way to socialize. For some classes, I would meet with a group and we would get together and we would all help each other out and go over the material. We would try to make sense of the knowledge we just learn and find ways to relate or understand a concept or problem.
DeleteYup exactly. That's usually what I do for Math and Science classes. I struggle heavily in those two so I always try to get a group together and talk about the material.
DeleteThe best way of determining if the subject is understood is by writing. It is also important that a student is able to apply what they have learned. Talking about the subject is also an equally important way of seeing if a student has learned the information. If the student is able to talk about and in a way reteach what has been taught, then obviously the student has learned something valuable. Most people think that testing and multiple choice questions are the best way to determine what has been learned. This method seems to be the best because the answers seem black and white, but it is not always the best way because not everyone does well on tests. From personal experience, I am a terrible test taker because I have test anxiety; however, I still know the material. As a student, it is the most frustrating thing to fail at a test because of stress or anxiety, but know the correct information. Every student is different. As a future teacher, I think it is so important to "test" students in various ways to accommodate all of the various ways of learning. I value the information that we are supposed to be obtaining rather than getting a good grade on a test.
ReplyDeleteI tend to get higher grades on writing out the answers than multiple choice. Because this way, you can still get a partial credit for doing it if its wrong.
DeletePartial credit is nice because it shows that you at least know a little bit about what you are trying to explain.
DeleteI agree Austin it is very important to accomodate for students learning styles in tests because if we are learn differntly why would it be okay to only accomodate to certain learning styles for exams.
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ReplyDeleteI think talking about a subject is the best way of assessing someone on whether they know about a subject. Talking about the subject is a good way of assessing a person on whether he or she knows about the subject because it requires knowledge of the subject with out making any reference to a note card. Everything is in your mind and you just have to speak what you know. Also, if you know a subject really well teaching it to someone is a also a good way of learning. It is a different way of learning because you are the "teacher." By teaching another person you tend to put complicated explanations into your own explanations that is easy to comprehend which allows you to solidify new knowledge in your brain. On the other hand, writing is an excellent way of determining whether you understand a subject. It is similar to talking but you just write down what is on your mind about the subject. It may also depend on certain scenarios. For example, if you have a writing portion for an essay the professor might give you partial credit despite some false information that you wrote. I think the majority of people hate writing, and when a writing assignment is presented to them they tend to lack writing fundamentals such as grammar, capitalization, spelling etc. If anything i think elementary teachers should spend more time on teaching their students on how to deal with grammar. I even have trouble with grammar because i was never told to write grammatically proper in elementary school. I had to learn as i progressed throughout middle school, high school, and college.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Writing is a very important way to measure understanding. Partial credit has helped me so many times.
DeleteYes! Talking is one of our best methods of communication. When we discuss it with someone else we are able to fine tune what we understand.
DeleteThe best and most thorough way to asses one’s understanding of material from any class is to talk about it in a class discussion/participation. While some subjects, such as mathematics and science are difficult to understand simply by talking it over in class, participation in the lecture, as well as question asking and problem solving during class with the help of the teacher is perhaps the best way to ensure an understanding of the concepts being taught. Instead of basing the majority of the grade off of a couple tests throughout the class, participation in and understanding of the concepts presented during lectures helps people follow along. Some people, like myself, are terrible at taking tests and it doesn’t matter how many classes we attend or how hard we study a subject if we do not understand the concepts. Tutoring is offered for students who don’t “get it” and I understand the need for one-on-one help in addition to class time, but there should be some implication of hands on work as well as opportunity for student-asked questions during class. In subjects like literature and history, a person’s understanding of concepts is best obtained through in-class discussion or small groups. Only when the student makes a personal connection or realization, aided by the teacher, can they really understand the material being studied.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. As a student, if you are able to explain and in a way "teach" what you have learned, then you have obviously learned the material. I am not a big fan of when teachers base your whole grade off of a few tests. It is frustrating as a student to know that a test can ruin your whole grade. Content material is so important instead of how well you take tests.
DeleteYup I agree with both of you. Talking about it is definitely the best way to go for most subjects :). I hate when classes make tests 80-100% of the grade, though. Sometimes people just have bad days on tests even when they know the material. Personal life gets in the way sometimes and it is so frustrating to be stuck with a poor grade because of one day.
DeleteI feel like the best way to assess understanding about something learned in a school setting is to be able to demonstrate your knowledge and ability to retain such information. In school, instructors provide you with information that you need to know, and then get tested on it to see how much you learned and retained. Multiple choice tests in my opinion, test whether or not you can identify the correct or best answer amongst others. However, writing about the subject like in an essay question or paper requires more skill and effort. Since, not only are you answering the question at hand, but you are also adding your own personal opinion and analysis.
ReplyDeleteFrom my personal experience with multiple choice tests either I do well or not. I feel like it has to do a lot with how the question is worded and the possible answers to choose form. Sometimes the answer is obvious, other times if I do not know the subject well and all the answers are similar, I find myself struggling to choose the correct answer. In essay questions or papers I feel like I learn the most, since I am required to apply what I have learned in a way in which it satisfies the question being asked. In addition, I have noticed that I retain and learn the a subject best by teaching others.
I agree with you and think that it is so important to be able to demonstrate what you have learned. Writing about what you have learned is such a great way to demonstrate what you have learned, but it also helps improve your writing skills. I agree and think that multiple choice tests you either do really well or you bomb them!! I don't think that multiple choice tests are a great way of testing students even though they are easier to grade.
DeleteExactly! That's why I feel that exams that include multiple choice, figures, and a write-in section are a great way to test a students understanding.
DeleteSpeaking about the subject is a good way to regurgitate the information one just learns. I like to speak about the subject with my dad, boyfriend, and friends. I like to speak about the subject and get additional input about the subject. The other day I was talking to my boyfriend about The Tortilla Curtain and we had a good conversation going on. He was able to add to my knowledge. I also like the method in one of my class. The professor goes over the topic and makes us search the web for what a heat pump is, pop. of the world, how much oil left in world, and so on. After we surf the web we write a two page summary of what we learned. Looking at additional sources on the web or watching a youtube video helps make some sense to what I learned and then being able to produce a paper of what I have searched and learned helps.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said Diana. I think that's a good way to understand the material. I wish all professors would do the same thing that your professor does.
DeleteI agree, talking about a subject is a great way to reinforce what was learned in class. I often talk to my friends about things I might have learned in class and sometimes it leads to interesting discussions of something totally unrelated.
DeleteTalking about the subject really does help retain recently taught material. I find myself bringing up stuff I learned at school with friends and family, and always learn a thing or two from their own opinions on the subject. It helps give me a different perspective or simply allows me to understand the topic in a condensed version.
Deleteyeah gabi I was just going to say that. I find that talking about what you know to others, may bring up things from them you did not know on the subject. It makes you quicker at coming up with information if its on the spot too.
DeleteI believe education system should have a practical and written examination. A syllabi should be offered, so the students can keep track of what they need to study for. There should be about two exams, one final, quizzed in between the exams, and a lab practical or training. I truly believe that quizzes in between exams would help the student gradually learn because most students like to cram the weekend ahead. Exams should be multiple-choice, fill in the blank, matching, and short answers. The exam should be mixed with multiple-choice and short answers, so the student can actually go read and understand the subject instead of just memorizing and forgetting what he or she have learned. The final should be commulative, the student should be required to learn and not forget it in the future. There should also be a practical to make sure students can learn the hands on experience of the subject. I believe knowing the actual meaning and using that knowledge is the key purpose. Most doctors I work with told me that they rather hire BC nurses instead of the CSUB nurses because they are more knowledgeable of what to do hands on. So I do believe a practical section is important. If a practical portion does not need to be required for a certain class, the students should be required to do service learning to gain some hands on knowledge. It's better to be both book smart and hands on.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with quizzes in between exams! I am unfortunately guilty of cramming before the midterm for those classes where there are only two midterms and a final. By having quizzes, it would give students an idea of how they are doing and what needs to be worked on.
DeleteI am also guilty of cramming before the midterm. I'm actually doing that this weekend for a biology class...
DeleteI think a lot of majors should implement a hands on training. It would prepare a lot of the students for future careers. It is nice to have the knowledge of a particular subject, but applying that knowledge into a job is a different situation.
DeleteThe best way to assess your understanding of something you have learned in the school setting is to explain it to someone. As you explain and answer questions, you will become aware of various aspects of the subject that you need to review. Because of research on how the brain works most efficiently, we teach students with a whole brain approach. This approach includes listening, reading, writing and speaking. When we use all of these ways to review and digest information, the more in-depth the information will be retained.
ReplyDeleteMultiple choice is my favorite type of test to take, but it is not the best to determine if I have actually learned a concept. I am skilled at memorization and memorizing phrases or a group of words gives me an edge when taking multiple choice tests. After the test there is a memory dump that happens and all that I have "learned" falls out of my ears. This is not a beneficial way for me to learn because my mind is moving through so fast, nothing has time to stick to be accessed later. Everyone learns and retains information differently, but when we have the opportunity to use our different communication styles to explore the information we will have a better understanding of what we are studying. As much a prefer multiple choice, classroom discussion and essay questions are probably the most efficient way to assess what one has learned.
I completley agree. I think the best way to learn is to teach someone else. Everyone has been in that situation were the professor explains things too fast and not everyone understands what the professor explained. There is always the one person that understands, and that person can explain to other students in simple terms what the professor was trying to say.
Deletei completely agree with your insight on m.c. questions, i would much rather prefer to take a test with short answer/essays
DeleteI believe the best way to assess understanding of a topic involves being able to successfully teach someone else about that topic. In nursing school, we do a lot of patient education on various topics. If you do not fully comprehend the topic you are trying to teach, it does no good to try to teach it to someone else. Knowing that I have to be very fluent in various topics pushes me to focus while I study so I will be able to effectively teach my patients. Nursing school is notorious for having ridiculously hard multiple choice tests. Multiple chapters are on the test, so students have to cram so much information into a short period of time. I personally don't think that multiple choice tests benefit students understanding of a topic. It is hard to retain the information because students aren't studying for long term memory of a topic. Instead they are studying for short term memorization of a topic that goes out the window the second the test is over. I think being able to discuss the topic effectively among your peers would be a better way of assessing understanding of a topic.
ReplyDeleteagreed! Teaching others not only helps the person you are teaching the subject to, but the information remains in your mind easier because the numerous times you explain it to someone.
Deleteyes! I am glad a lot of people feel the same way. People need to do their part by studying on their own beforehand though, If people do not do their part and study prior to them having a conversation with someone about it, then they will not have an effective conversation.
DeleteThe best way to assess understanding of something leaned in school is by being able to explain it to someone. Once someone learns something, studies it, relates it to his or her life in some way, and is able to teach it to someone else, he or she will fully understand the concept of the subject. I am a Psychology major, and in a majority of the psychology courses I have taken the professors have discussed that after learning something to tell it to someone. This will cause the person to remember it, and once the person can talk about it naturally (can bring it up in everyday conversation) than he or she will remember it. However, it is highly unlikely that most schools would allow students to simply talk about subjects and not take any tests, even though that would be amazing. I feel not all tests, and other ways of testing students inside of a classroom, can determine if students know a subject or not. There are many factors that can occur which may hinder a student causing him or her to get a low grade of a test. Such factors may include, personal issues, stress/anxiety, the classroom environment, and the test not being written well. Also, it is common that once a student takes a test, he or she forgets all of the information he or she has studied for. Although the student was able to memorize or regurgitate facts, it does not mean he or she really understands it.
ReplyDeleteI agree, being able to explain to or talk to someone about the material being taught in class allows the student to further grasp the information.
DeleteI believe that the best way to assess ones understanding of a subject can be done through frequent quizzes and hands on experience. Giving quizzes frequently helps keep students on their feet by prompting them with questions and material that need to be studied sooner, rather than later, which would also reduce the likelihood of procrastinating when it comes to studying. For some classes, such as science classes, hands on experiences involving projects and presentations can be used as a way of assessing a students’ understanding by having the student conduct experiments on their own, write well thought out research papers, and the ability to present and discuss findings to the class. It is very unlikely to be able to complete a thorough project by procrastinating, so this would motivate students to get to work faster and have a deeper understanding of the material being taught in class.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of hands on experience. It's honestly good to use in most situations. I have video editing software and honestly when I read the instructions I thought I knew how to work.When it was time to use it I had no clue. As I began to use it more I understood things better. Now I'm really good with it.
DeleteIn my honest opinion, I think that the best way to assess understanding of something learned is through double assignment. I’m not the biggest fan of tests. I find tests to be boring, difficult, and a cause high levels of anxiety. All of these factors can affect the test takers score, initially going into the test regardless of their skill level. I think that giving a homework assignment once, that requires an essay section, may it be essay questions or an actual essay, and then grading it for the first score is important and often the method used for grading homework. In addition I think that after the in class corrections are made, a similar assignment should be given and assessed. Through score comparison it’s possible to see how someone has improved over time. Homework is a much less pressure filled assignment, and doesn't add the same stress level as tests can.
ReplyDeleteChelsea, I would agree that the anxiety that comes with tests can be less than thorough in assessing what a student understands. When you have the homework assignment in front of you and you have the opportunity to explore the topic you are more likely to retain the information. Often stress is the enemy of creativity and creativity is a large part of learning.
Deletei think most of us can agree that worrying about the test actually causes us to over-think some of the questions and end up with a lower grade than we intended to get
DeleteA good way to assess understanding of a subject is to write about it. Writing an essay can be a good way to test for knowledge, however, a formal piece of writing is not always the best way. Informal writing can also be helpful. Writing a summary of what was learned in class each day can be beneficial in many ways. By writing a short summary, you are forced to think about what was learned and say it in your own words. It also gives students the chance to go over the information and find out what they might not understand and get help with it. Multiple choice questions are not the most reliable in measuring understanding. They give students the answer to the question without really allowing the student to think too much about it. Free response questions, on the other hand, are a good way to judge understanding of a subject. They require students to think about all the concepts they learned in class and link them in an organized paragraph. Another great way to assess information is by talking about it. This can often times lead to discussions and give valuable insight about the topic from another person's view. Talking also reinforces what was learned because it involves explaining the information to someone in a way they will understand it.
ReplyDeleteI also thing informal writing is a good strategy. Short handing something often leaves more room for thought. Although formal essays address topics, they have a format that is being followed. In the case of informal writing there's more room for thought and extra ideas that you wouldn't include in a formal essay. There are opinions and ideas. These things can show more of what you thought about what you learned and can be insightful.
DeleteI believe the best way to assess understanding of something is by practicing every day and being tested on it. Like with anything, practice makes perfect. The more you study and grasp the concept about the project, the better you will do when you are tested on it. Essays are a good way of determining understanding. However, some teachers tend to focus on the style and structure of how the essay is written, instead of focusing on the content of the essay. Although tests are a good way of determining someone’s knowledge, or cramming skills, I much rather prefer writing instead of having to answer a million multiple choice questions. Through writing, one can gather up so many ideas and thoughts to help better explain the point being conveyed. I agree structured writing is a skill that is important to have in life, but free range writing not only exercises the mind, but also the soul.
ReplyDeleteYou know how the saying goes… practice makes perfect. I strongly believe that in anything you want to succeed in, repetition will help you reach it. Sometimes learning things in school can be really challenging, and you need to be shown in several different ways. For example, when learning a math concept it may help you if you teach it to others, or explain what you know, write it out, see someone do it, and try to teach yourself. I have found a lot of these methods will help you to not only better understand something but also help you to retain it. A person is a lot more likely to perform well in a comfortable atmosphere. However, this is not always the case. There always seems to be distractions when learning. From my experiences, smaller classrooms are an easier setting to learn in. I get much more distracted and overwhelmed in bigger classrooms. I have also found that in smaller classrooms instructors are able to give you much more needed attention. I felt more comfortable about asking questions when I was in smaller classrooms. Another thing I felt effective in learning is having classroom discussions or group discussions. You are able to hear other people’s opinions and they may help you see things you never would have thought of on your own. I know teachers don’t do this but I think an effective way to understand something is by giving out a test and then going over what you missed at the end of the test aloud. To prep for the test, do a bunch of homework assignments beforehand focusing on each thing needed to be learned.
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