Pre-Tests for Algebra & Problem-Solving in College Physics

[Andy Resnick]

Doing some end-of-the-semester reflection regarding my course (algebra-based PHYS I & II, non-majors), and a suggestion was made to incorporate 'pre-tests' next term as a way to quickly flag students that may struggle with 1) algebra and 2) problem-solving, and who would then be recommended to seek additional tutoring.

Has anyone done something like this? Do the students appreciate this, or it is an early dose of fear (i.e. a 'pop quiz' on the first day)? Is it a useful tool?

TIA.

 

[micromass]

In my previous university they did this. They did pre-tests for mathematics, physics and whatever people would need for their courses. So, when I was an undergrad I had to do a pre-test. I didn't fear it or anything, since it's grades didn't count.
A few years later I was assigned to correct the pre-tests myself.

After we did the pre-tests, we would correct it and we would correspond the grades to the students. People with bad grades were invited to have a little talk, to analyze their mistakes and to see what can be done in the future.

People with insufficient math skills or with test anxiety or something else, could get the help they needed. People who did good in the test where reassured that they had the skills needed for their studies...

I think it's a very useful tool and I can highly recommend it!

 

[physics girl phd]

When I taught high school, one of the chemistry teachers gave an algebra pretest the first week. The students didn't hate her for it (it wasn't used for a grade), and it did let her flag the few that shouldn't have been in the course.

Some issues:
How long is your drop/add period, and how much turn-over is there for the course during that time? I've found in my gen-ed course, that there's way to much turnover to do anything like set organized groups, etc. For an algebra-based course it might be less (especially if it's required for pre-meds, etc.).

How would you administer it, and how would you deal with absent students? online, written... make students take it at a testing center (and if so, is there cost?)?


Would it be for a grade? I'd suggest not.. to eliminate anxiety, as micromass suggests. Or maybe credit/no credit based on completion only.

Hmmm... I might do this for my EM for engineers this fall. I could make one for basic calc and covering some "Physics I" material (it's hard to know what they have here... since they take a two-term "Physics Fundamentals" course in engineering, and don't take a "Physics I" through our department at all).

Let us know how yours goes...

 

[Andy Resnick]

I gave a brief math facts pre-test and a problem-solving skills pre-test. I just went through the math quiz... ugh. 90% of the students don't know what the area of a circle is, how to solve a quadratic equation, or use sines and cosines (this is algebra-based Physics I).

Fortunately, there's a lot of free tutoring available for these folks...

 

[symbolipoint]

Doing some end-of-the-semester reflection regarding my course (algebra-based PHYS I & II, non-majors), and a suggestion was made to incorporate 'pre-tests' next term as a way to quickly flag students that may struggle with 1) algebra and 2) problem-solving, and who would then be recommended to seek additional tutoring.

Has anyone done something like this? Do the students appreciate this, or it is an early dose of fear (i.e. a 'pop quiz' on the first day)? Is it a useful tool?

TIA.

Absolutey, proceed with that. You KNOW it is important and will help both your efforts and your students' efforts. Your department should design a short review course which students assessed as being deficient must enroll, or you/your department would administratively drop such students from your main PHYS I & II course.

Students will complain, and might not all appreciate the testing plus remediatory course requirement. Ultimately, those who need review and accept it will benefit and possibly increase their chance of passing your courses. The sensible students who go through this will understand that they were actually helped.

One of the problems being a student is that achieving the prerequisite course credit makes the student believe he is qualified for the course requiring those listed prerequisites, but this is only for regulations to be sure the student has successfully studied what the PHYS course requires; but students forget some or more of their skills and maybe some concepts get weak and these students need to review in order to be truly qualified to do the PHYS course. So they complain, saying they already have the credit in the courses prerequisites and although weak now, do not want this obstacle of pre-test and new requirement for enrollment into a review/remediatory course.

I say, DO IT Andy Resnick. More of the students who stay in your PHYS I&II courses will succeed.

 

[Borek]

Makes me think about https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=523658

 

[Andy Resnick]

Absolutey, proceed with that. You KNOW it is important and will help both your efforts and your students' efforts. <snip>

One of the problems being a student is that achieving the prerequisite course credit makes the student believe he is qualified for the course requiring those listed prerequisites, but this is only for regulations to be sure the student has successfully studied what the PHYS course requires; but students forget some or more of their skills and maybe some concepts get weak and these students need to review in order to be truly qualified to do the PHYS course. <snip>

I say, DO IT Andy Resnick. More of the students who stay in your PHYS I&II courses will succeed.

I agree- I'm glad I gave the pre-test this year; undoubtedly my previous students had the same problems only I never realized it. There was some nervousness, but no complaints.

It is also very true about prerequisites- one student wrote on the pre-test "I graduated from high school in 1974 and haven't done any math since then".

Ditto for the problem-solving pre-test; I am catching a lot of problems (sloppy thinking, primarily) that I can address now rather than mid-way though the course.

For those students who could not complete the math facts pre-test, I sent an email "strongly suggesting" they get some additional tutoring at either the CSU student tutoring center or the Math Department- we have student tutors as well, but I don't want to overload them with teaching how to solve a quadratic equation. I'm curious how many students will follow through...

 

[Andy Resnick]

Makes me think about https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=523658

The more I ask around, the more I've come to realize that poorly-prepared students have been complained about since Aristotle- and the complaints are nearly always the same: poor math skills, poor reasoning ability, poor time-management. Personally, I can see how years spent dealing with that causes burnout. Again, having a mentor helps (or at least, has been helping me).

 

[mathwonk]

As noted here a primary function of pretests is to cause anxiety and depression in the instructor, especially if no remedies exist for the problems identified.

If you don't have the ability to enforce the makeup they indicate, or even to get the students to drop out, they do little good except make you wonder about the common sense and motivation of your students.

Nonetheless they do give you useful information on what to review.

Once in the distant past, puzzled as to why my own dept had abandoned this seemingly logical process, I gave one the first day of calculus.

The average score out of 100 on a test about equations for straight lines and area of circles, and definition of sin and cos, was 10 except for a 100 from one non native Chinese woman.

I gave the tests back graded and told them to work them out open book and I would re grade them. Several students just did not come back, and of those who came back the average score the second time on the same test, open book over 24 hours, was 15.

I just gave up the idea ever since that. The information they give is something I already know: that most of my students will not have the prerequisites for the course, any course, ever. I still have to teach it, so i always include a review of everything they will need. Half of them still drop out or get less than a C, how could they do otherwise?

However, i still recommend some kind of pretest because it helps you get to know your class, the main requisite for you to teach them. But a less traumatic such measure may be preferable such as learning their names and asking them questions about prereqs in class in an unthreatening way.

 

[Andy Resnick]

<snip>But a less traumatic such measure may be preferable such as learning their names and asking them questions about prereqs in class in an unthreatening way.

I've been doing something like that for a while: once they have a lab group, each group meets with me (informally) where we discuss stuff like what their preconceptions and expectations are, and the meeting counts for a homework.

I agree- that meeting is *incredibly* helpful.

 

[mathwonk]

The most effective pretest I ever received was at Harvard in a french literature class whose prerequisite was to know French. the instructor simply gave the first lecture in french. I understood enough to catch that he was saying he wanted to make it absolutely clear that the prerequisite was a serious one. I did not return.

The analog in a math class might be to give the first lecture in a way that assumed the prior material and not look back.