19 March 2007

Give me one number!

Give me one number!

I gave a test recently on conservation of matter. The test had six parts and all of the parts were based on state standards. Students did not receive and overall score they were just told how they did on each section. I told them that it was like taking six small tests. They didn't like that explanation. After years of being given one number on tests they really wanted to know what their one number was. I tried to convince them that the way I had assessed them told them more about what they knew but they were resistant to that take on the grade.

One reason that students want the single number is because they have been raised in a norm-referenced education system. They have always been compared to one another. From birth when parents are told in which percentile their baby ranks in length and weight they have been compared to how everyone else is doing. In a criterion-referenced system they are being compared only to an expected understanding or standard and this is understandably new for them. The only useful comparison is a self comparison to how they are doing versus the standard. This is a totally new way of thinking for many students and accordingly they are poorly equiped to deal with the new kind of information.

The other reason is that one number has been defining their performance for all of their academic lives. Their evaluations may be based on what they know and are able to do but they are all reduced to one number or one letter at some point during the process. The idea that I would give them five grades for one test is just too much for them to adjust to at one time.

Another adjustment for students is that I have been trying to do something with the test scores. Since each student had 6 scores they could see how they did in each section. There were many students that had very high scores in some sections but very low scores in others. On one of the days after the test I divided the room into 6 locations and had a makeup area for each of the sections. The idea being that students would look at how they did on a section and figure out where they had to go to make it up.

Two issues immediately arose: teacher help and motivation. I created a situation where everyone was going to an area where they needed help. The question then becomes how do I help if everyone needs help? The other question is how do I motivate students to actually want to do something about their grade? The first of those questions might actually be the easier one because I know that I am motivated and I know that I will work to help the students learn. The more difficult part is an individual student's motivation. How do I find ways that will motivate them to do something about their understanding once they know where it is?