Why Frequent Exams are Better

Implementing exams throughout courses is a necessary evil, and it has been widely accepted by students and instructors alike that the times of midterms and finals are times of panic and disarray.  However, this anxiety might be less about the fact that students are required to take a test and more about the lack of test-taking they’ve experienced previously in the class.

In 2007, a study was completed in which a control group was set to have students only complete two midterm exams and a cumulative final throughout the semester.  This was in turn compared to an experimental group that required the completion of biweekly exams (six in total) as well as the same cumulative final as the control group.  The findings from this study proved very interesting indeed.

Students a part of the experimental group with biweekly exams scored, on average, about 10 percentage points (or one letter grade) higher on exams throughout the semester.  Plus, they scored about 15 percentage points higher on the final than students in the control group.

This wasn’t the only thing that had shown to be different between these two groups.  The control group experienced a decline in student enrollment when more than 11 percent of the students withdrew from the course.  Not a single student withdrew from the experimental section.  The improvement frequent exams made on the course was also seen in course ratings, as students who were a part of the experimental group rated the course and instructor higher overall in each.  In fact, 71 percent of students in the control group rated their instructor as “one of the best” they’ve had, vs. just a 36% rating from the control group.  (Note that both of these courses were taught by the same professor.)

So why was so much improvement seen between these two groups?  What is it about frequent exams that make the class more valuable to students?

Students are consistently exposed to information.  This paired with less material to learn at a time for the biweekly exams helped contribute to overall retention and understanding of course material.  This also amounted to receiving feedback more frequently and earlier on in the semester, allowing students to gauge what they should change about their learning habits in order to improve their scores.

Tip Provided By: Jessica Moser

Myers, C.B., and Myers, S.M. (2007). Assessing assessments: The effects of two exam formats on course achievement and evaluation. Innovative Higher Education, 31, 227–236.

The Prezi Resolution

You know what they say, out with the old, in with the new.  And what better time to try something new than New Year’s?  That’s why this blog post will focus on Prezi, a neat little online presentation tool that can help you to create engaging presentations and share them with students easily.

What is Prezi?

Prezi is an online presentation system.  Although similar in concept to that of PowerPoint, Prezi is a much more interactive display of information since it uses movement, graphics, maps, videos, and other multimedia tools in order to showcase ideas and concepts.

Why should I use Prezi?

Here are five reasons:

1.  Prezi has great visual impact.  Because it allows you to import pictures, maps, PDFs and use them as a canvas, you can showcase ideas based on a larger picture.  You can also import videos, sound clips, and other links that will play directly from the Prezi window, without having to worry about continuous play, switching windows, or pop-ups.  It also has an interesting zooming function that provides the feeling of entering a different world.
   
2. Prezi was designed with the iPad in mind.  Therefore, it allows you to create exciting and interactive presentations with touch navigation.
   
3. Freedom.  Prezis can be kept in a public domain that can be accessed by your students anytime they need it.  They can navigate Prezis themselves to review information, or they can print them in PDF format.
   
4. Prezi works well in interactive classroom formats or group projects.  Prezi has the resources for students to work together in real time with up to ten other people to build a presentation on one shared virtual whiteboard.  This can be done online or in the classroom.
   
5.  Easily import from PowerPoint.  If you’re interested in embracing this new method of presentation, but don’t want to transfer all of your PowerPoint information over by hand, no worries.  Prezi can import your existing information simply by importing your PowerPoints.

Prezi also offers a free educational subscription if you would prefer to keep your presentations private instead of public.  Just use your email address that belongs to your educational institution when signing up.  There are also step-by-step instructions and tutorials provided on their website once you get started.

Thanks to Prezi, you are no longer forced to present information in a linear sense.  Instead, you can edit your presentation path  to “fly” from location to location, turning elements upside down, zooming in or out, or reverting back to bigger pictures, all to the explore the relationships between ideas.

To get started on creating your own Prezis, head on over to www.prezi.com.  Happy presenting!

Tip Provided By: Jessica Moser