Instructional Strategy Tuesday - Pre- Assessments

Giving formative pre-assessments prior to learning has benefits for both the learner and the instructor.   Asking knowledge and comprehension questions will help students prepare for the a new unit or chapter of study.  

By completing a pre-assessment students are exposed to content in a way that tells them these concepts are important, that they should be looking to understand the content covered in the assessment as the instructor has identified it as important.  It is a way for students to self-assess their progress.   It also helps them focus on the content they will need to spend the most time learning.  If they are successful in one area, but struggled in another, they know they should focus their studies there.

Pre-assessments are also beneficial to the instructor.   They indicate to an instructor what the strengths and weakness of a class might be and can help plan instructional activities accordingly.   They also indicate which students will be successful and which might need more support.   This can be helpful in a classroom situation.  Calling on students when you know they already know the answer can help build student's self-efficacy.  It can also help you avoid putting student's on the spot by calling on them when they do not have that knowledge or skill.

Pre-assessments can be in the form of simple multiple choice or true false tests.  Other forms can include responses in forums, quick writes, or journal entries.