Curious about how your students are feeling pre- and post-test? Help them reflect on their assessments using exam wrappers.
Details & Links
- Source: Designing Effective Exam Wrappers
- Templates: Pre-Exam Wrapper | Post-Exam Wrapper
Comments
- Besides helping students reflect on their own learning and studying styles, this can also help professors determine which aspects of the subject tend to be most difficult for their students to grasp. Going forward, they can use the insights gathered when teaching the subject to future classes.
- They can also use the insights to help their current classes. For instance, if the professor notices that students usually take the test not having eaten yet, maybe they can send out an encouraging announcement the day/couple days before the test to remind them to eat. They can also allot around 5-15 minutes before the test to give the students some time to munch on a snack.
- Professors may opt to share common themes in class – this can help students feel less alone in their struggles, and possibly form a sense of community where students can work together to address their common issues. Professors may also want to open consulting hours, and invite students to discuss their answers to the exam wrappers and provide possible solutions to the issues they encountered.
- Ask students when they would like to answer the exam wrappers. Though most articles recommend doing it right before a test, this may cause more anxiety for students who may just want to get the test over with on the day of. Likewise, while doing it right after the exam makes sure their memories are “fresh,” some may be too tired to give substantial answers. Asking for their preference also reinforces the fact that this is meant to help, and not make life more difficult for them.
- Send students a copy of their answers so that they can review their thoughts after the assessment. This can help them develop better study habits and gain a better understanding of where they stand in the subject.
If you try out this design pattern, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Just send us an email at [email protected].
U.N.I.T.A.S. Design Principles demonstrated in this design pattern:
| U.N.I.T.A.S. Design Principles | Application |
| Understands the learner | The activity seeks to understand the students’ mindset and preparedness going into assessments. |
| Nurtures student well-being | Exam wrappers are a good way to show students that professors want to know how they feel pre- and post-test. |
| Inspires curiosity and self-development | By asking reflective questions, exam wrappers seek to have students assess their own study habits, strengths, and weaknesses, which can help them improve in the future. |
| Systematically reviews & improves the learning experience | If the professors choose to do so, they can use the insights gained from their current students to help them determine how to go about their lessons and assessments going forward. |
