By Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.
Very few first-year composition students arrive at their course fully prepared. They lack the basics – the foundational elements of grammar or argumentation. Thus, they go into the course with a serious handicap. The same situation applies to students who are approaching math and science courses as well. In fact, the lack of the ability to bridge the skills gap may be a reason why so many students seem to have a math or writing phobia.
An excellent way to overcome the deficiencies and to bridge the skills gap is to enable students to take automated quizzes and review activities, which could include multiple-choice, fill in the blank, short answer, and true-false tests. Often referred to as “skill and drill” tests, the interactive quizzes have been criticized for being too passive.
However, in an eLearning context, “skill and drill” are just what some students need. Here are the key attributes and benefits:
- Mobile learning: Review activities can be delivered in mobile devices, or via laptop or desktop workstation, thus they are convenient.
- On-demand, just-in-time: Students can access the activities that will help them when, where, and how they need the activities.
- Adaptive assessment leads to precision remediation: Thanks to effective diagnostics and adaptive assessment, areas where students need to improve their skills can be quickly and accurately identified. Students are able to target the areas where they need help, and can obtain it in an efficient, effective way.
The ability to target remediation needs is vital. For example, some institutions require students to pass a basic grammar competency test before they can take first-year composition. If they do not pass, they must take a remediation course. However, many students circumvent that rule and take the course from another institution that does not require the test, and then the student transfers in the course. Others find that they are good (or lucky) test-takers and they are able to obtain a passing score even when their knowledge and skills level do not warrant their being in the course.
Still other schools require only one first-year composition course. When students transfer to another college and find they must take a second first-year composition course, it is clear that they did not learn enough in the compressed course to effectively write a coherent academic paper. Further, even if struggling students manage to get through that course, they are not sufficiently prepared to succeed in higher-level courses that require them to pass essay exams and to write term papers.
Adaptive tests map the student’s responses to questions and allow the student to find the types of activities that bring their levels to where they need to be.
Examples include:
- Diagnostic assessments that test a broad range of skills as well as depth of knowledge.
- Mastery-learning inspired tutorials and instructional activities, tied to specific units, lessons, and outcomes.
- Peer-interactive tasks which encourages collaborative learning.
Students learn that it is important to
- develop a metacognitive approach to general grammatical rules and guidelines. In concrete terms, one could say that it is about developing signposts for recognition of patterns. This applies to English grammar and English as a Second Language, math, etc.
- successfully apply the knowledge.
Examples of grammar activities and review include the following, some of which have CD-ROM, online, and mobile options:
Tutorace: http://tutorace.com/
GrammarBytes: http://www.chompchomp.com/
Online Grammar Exercises: http://www.smic.be/smic5022/exercisesgrammar.htm
Over the next months or years, there is no doubt at all that we will start to see many more courses designed with a tie-in to review and remediation activities. It is a way to build competencies and in doing so, build one’s self-confidence. Further, it is motivating to build on a track record of success, and to approach one’s courses with enthusiasm and confidence.
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