Quizzes – Who wouldn’t love testing?!?!

I have just created a test for my year one class with ClassMarker. You can see it here:

Hide and Seek with Carla Crocodile

It is intended for a literacy rotation. I have used it in conjunction with the Springboard books, in particular the level 9 book, “Hide and Seek with Carla Crocodile”. The students would read the book with an aide helper, log in to ClassMarker and respond to the questions. This is a tool that the learning manager could prepare in advance and be reused by different students as they reach the reading level. ClassMarker allows you to create a different way of testing which is more exciting than pen and paper. The quiz I created was only a true or false questionnaire which at this level cannot produce higher order thinking but requires the students to recall the story. The thing I liked about ClassMarker was that learning managers can create a quiz which will require the students to think a little more than recall. It can generate many question types such as multiple choice, punctuation, free text and essay format. I can see this tool being used under many KLA’s and by creating questions that produce higher order thinking, ClassMarker can be a great teaching and learning tool to utilize within the classroom.

I also like the idea of using it with older classes and allowing them to create mini quizzes for their peers. This would require backward thinking to create questions and ensuring they find the correct answers for the quiz.

Engagement Theory supposes that technology can facilitate engagement in ways which are difficult to achieve otherwise (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). I definitely think that ClassMarker can create a greater engagement in testing than a simple pen and paper routine. Gone are the days of sitting in rows with a HB pencil and a rubber.

I am excited to use this tool in my classroom and finding many different ways of using it.



Til next time,

Cheers,

Bec



Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory:. Retrieved August 19th, 2009, from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm