VOLUME XVII, NUMBER 25

38 INNOVATION ABSTRACTS

PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD), COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, THE

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN * WITH SUPPORT FROM THE W. K. KELLOGG-FOUNDATION AND THE SID W. RICHARDSON FOUNDATION

 

Delivering Test Feedback to Students

Testing communicates our academic expectations and
standards to students, and feedback about the test is part
of the testing process. Feedback sessions enable us to
explain how the class performed as a whole, to identify
and clarify conceptual difficulties students had with the
exam, and to explain the criteria by which the exam was
graded. These feedback sessions, however, tend not to be
pleasurable. Students may become quiet and unrespon-
sive, challenge a grade that is lower than expected, or
even dispute the validity of the exam. We may feel some
anxiety about returning exams to a class that tested
poorly, feel responsible about the achievement level of the
class, and become defensive in response to students’
criticisms about the exam or the grading procedures. In
such a heightened emotional atmosphere, communication
between instructor and student may become blurred and
ineffective. The following procedures can be helpful in
delivering clear and effective test feedback to students
and decreasing the tension associated with these sessions.

Explain the Characteristics of the Exam

The objective of administering most exams is to test
students’ knowledge. It is perfectly legitimate, therefore,
to give students detailed information about what the
exam will include. Students can be informed about the
types of questions that will appear, how much each type
of question will be “worth,” what course material will be
covered, and what criteria will be used for grading
purposes. Giving students information enables them to
better prepare for the exam.

Make Grading Criteria Clear and Consistent

Make certain students can determine how the grade
was achieved. Write out the criteria used to grade an item
and the rationale for awarding fewer points than the
possible total. Writing out criteria also allows for consis-
tent application across all of the exam. A grading sheet
that clearly states criteria and how points are assigned can
make grading essay exams faster and provides students
with clear feedback.

Each section of the exam should be clearly labeled with
both the instructions and the number of points it is
possible to earn. For example, the multiple-choice section
of an exam might begin, “Each multiple-choice item is

   

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worth 5 points.” The essay section might include the total
number of points possible, for example, “What is the
definition of ‘mainstreaming’? (15 points).” The student's
total points or percentage score should be clearly labeled,
along with the possible total. A clear and consistent
grading system simplifies the feedback process.

Prepare for the Feedback Session

Once the exams have been graded, calculate several
descriptive statistics—e.g, the average score on the exam.
This average may be converted into a letter grade or
percentage score. The range and the distribution of scores
for the class should be discussed.

The difficulty level of each item or question should be
computed. The difficulty level of multiple-choice items is
the percentage of students who correctly answered the
item; on an essay item it is the average score earned.
When computing the difficulty level, determine what
alternate answers were favored by the class. These
alternate answers will be those most likely debated
during the feedback session, so it is important to review
them and explain why the alternate option is wrong and
why the correct option is right.

Clearly explain grading criteria for essay items. This
information, along with the descriptive statistics, can be
written on the blackboard or on a transparency.

Establish a Structured Format for Discussion

Structuring the procedures for conducting the feed-
back session can make it run more smoothly. It is impor-
tant to explain these procedures at the beginning of the
class period before returning the exams, as students will be
less distracted. Explain how the parts of the exam will be
discussed. Give students directions for what they should
do if they disagree with the grading of an item. Decide
what student interactions are acceptable during the
feedback session. Maintaining a calm, businesslike tone
can help sessions go more smoothly. The following
feedback strategies provide a useful range of discussion
options.

Whole-class participatory feedback: The instructor
gives feedback to the class as a whole. Each test item may
be discussed. Students are invited to make comments and
to ask questions about particular items.

vems®\ — THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD)
Community College Leadership Program, Department of Educational Administration
College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin. SZB 348. Austin. Texas 78712-1293