Design principle 6. Testing and feedback are the motors of students’ learning

1. Through testing, the faculty can determine if the students have the desired level of competency.
2. Students’ study behaviour is strongly influenced by the content and format of the tests (constructive alignment – see BL alignment) and feedback. Students will be more motivated if they are informed about their study progress and receive feedback regularly and timely. Spending more time on learning will lead to better study results (= time-on-task).
3. The availability of dummy tests for the students could encourage the students to study from the start of the course. Performing a test is a better learning activity, compared to reading a book.
4. Spreading of exams over time is more effective, because there is less ‘competition’ for the learning time of the students when preparing for the different tests. The same applies to resits of tests when the next courses have already started.
5. Consider the important qualities of summative tests.

Design principles

• Design principle 1 Active Learning
• Design principle 2. Issues and problems from the professional field are central
• Design principle 3 Focus explicitly on knowledge
• Design principle 4. Qualities necessary in a nominal program
• Design principle 5 Consider seriously collaborative learning and learning from fellow students
• Design principle 6. Testing and feedback are the motors of students’ learning
• Design principle 7. IT is a must!
• Design principle 8. Possibilities for personal growth

Necessary focus points

• Organise a form of peer feedback (47).

It does require pedagogical preparation.

• Check the qualities of the summative tests (24).

Another step to modernise

• Test and give feedback with VLE (6).
• Prepare a self-test (with feedback) at the level of the final test (12).
• Follow the progress of the students with a portfolio (26).
• Plan both summative and diagnostic tests (32).

Using IT to support self-study and classroom study

5. Options to apply IT to test and give feedback

• Give the students the option to do self-tests.
• Give feedback f2f in the classroom or through the VLE about the self-study.
• Discuss results and give additional explanation.
• Use students’ assignments with peer feedback with rubrics as evaluation criteria.
• Give additional assignment(s) after the test results.
• Involve students’ evaluation of student papers.
• Ask students to develop test questions.
• Give feedback based on a student study result.
• Check for plagiarism in the student’s work.
• Follow students’ progress with a portfolio.
• Stimulate social (virtual) contacts before and after a lecture or workgroup.