第9章 (第3/3页)
a supply of essay questions in the
test bank.
What will my tests cover?
Tests in introductory classes primarily cover the text; you can select and/or edit items from the
professionally written Test Bank to cover the text material. You may also prefer to let students know in the
syllabus that tests will include outside-class assignments as well as anything that occurs in class, such as
lectures, films, demonstrations, and experiments. Of course, you will have to write your own questions to
cover these other aspects of the course.
How long should my tests be?
Most students can read and answer a multiple-choice question in less than a minute, so if your class lasts
50 minutes, the test should have no more than 45 items to allow a few minutes for test distribution. If your
class period is longer than 50 minutes, give a longer test since reliability increases with test length. It is best
to make the test the only activity of the class day.
xvii
No matter how much time is allowed for a test, some students will not be ready to hand in their paper when
the allotted time is up. Tell them you are leaving, and that if they want to receive credit for the test, they must
hand in their papers immediately.
What will I do about students who miss tests?