I found that I was giving RATs that were too difficult for the material
when I first started. I've since come to give relatively easy
questions--I'm teaching in the humanities and there is generally a lot of
focus on interpretation, but I've learned to just ask factual questions
about the readings that the students can get. If I've done the work well,
I find that there are usually a couple of students who get all or all but
one of twelve questions correct. The class average changes
however. Indeed, I usually curve the RAT grades so that the class average
is an 85%. That way, if I have made a quiz that is really too difficult,
the students will not be penalized. At the same time both I and the
students know what they have to work on. It is excellent feedback.
A couple of points to keep in mind. I was finding that my questions were
problematic when I first started, not because the scores were low and the
students were dejected, but rather because the students continued to argue
with me about the fairness of the questions. There was constant grumbling
that my tests were asking too much from even the best readers. When no one
was getting a good score, it seemed clear to me that I needed to change
something. That's when I began making what I consider to be fairly simple
questions.
I expect some of debate over questions each time--today, for instance, I
inadvertently wrote one question that could not be answered from the
readings and another that proved to have two possible answers. When I am
convinced that the question is problematic, I willingly concede the
point. But I have to be convinced: there was another question, today,
that I found completely fair.
Because I see the work of the next several class periods as time to get
more deeply into the material, I no longer try to include really difficult
or interpretive questions on the RATs--this just starts them with the
basics that we can draw on.
Incidentally, I find that sometimes during the class discussion of the RAT
answers, I get a good response by asking the students why I asked a
question. This often will elicit a very good discussion and initiate a
mini-lecture from me. I find that the students tend to be extremely
attentive during my short lectures on these days so the RATs are extremely
good pedagogy.
Stephen
At 12:32 PM 10/19/2004, Kubitz, Karla wrote:
>Hello TBL colleagues,
>
>I've a couple of questions that I'd like to put out there for some
>feedback.
>
>First, how do you tell whether your RATs are too hard? My students have
>been averaging about 66-67% on their individual RATs and about 93-94% on
>their team RATs. That's across three classes and across 4 RATs so far
>this semester. Does that sound like they're too hard?
>
>Second, I just did a class session to look at team processes (along the
>lines of the one suggested in Michaelsen's book) where you ask the teams
>what behaviors have helped, hurt, etc. I also included the question
>about what the instructor could do to make the class better. In both of
>my classes, I got the suggestion to lecture before the RATs instead of
>after. Any suggestions on how to respond to the classes about this
>suggestion?
>
>Karla
------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen P. Weldon, Ph.D.
History of Science Society Bibliographer
Assistant Professor
Department of History of Science
601 Elm St., Room 622
The University of Oklahoma
Norman, OK 73019
Personal email: [log in to unmask]
Isis Bibliography: [log in to unmask]
Phone: 405-255-5187
Fax: 405-325-2363
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