Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3

I am writing as my students take their first exam. Out of five exams, I drop the lowest grade in this class; I make sure to remind students of this policy before they begin. Some exclaimed that I'd probably be dropping this exam for many students because they didn't know what they were getting themselves into. We can ll relate to the jitters that accompany the first exam in any class. It isn't until after the first exam that you learn the assessment style of that particular instructor.

I'm looking through the exam just now and realized that I left two answers from the answer key on the exam. So the grades will definitely be inflated.

This is my first time giving an exam in class since starting at VSU. Before this semester I opted to give online tests, but decided to switch it up this semester and compare the results. I had forgotten all the details that go into a traditional paper and pencil test... Test anxiety as the first test comes around, scantrons, accommodations, make-ups, cheating and the no-shows.

I don't like to anticipate cheating, especially when teaching future educators. I want to think the best of them, but I'll be darned if I didn't just see a student reading off her Apple watch during the test. Could she really have notes or the study guide right there? Maybe using the email app? I believe that most cheating originates from the immense pressure students feel to do well. Test anxiety was originally described as a result of dividing one's attention between the test and self-relevant thoughts, basically being self-conscious instead of just taking the test. In a classroom setting, the potential for distractions and those self-conscious thoughts is magnified. I suppose that when the test is online, the student has more control over the environment and can limit distractions in order to focus on the exam fully. What is your preference? Do you like to take exams online or in person? If you teach, which method do you prefer?

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