RUNNING HEAD: Reflection of Using Test as A Tool to Improve Teaching

Reflection of Using Test Result as A Tool to Improve Your Teaching

This article wrote by Thomas R. Guskey (2001), which talked about how to build class

assessment system properly and through it to arrive professional instructional academic aim. In

the beginning, he introduced his experience about he prepared a lot before the exam, however the

result is not good. After this, he introduced two class problems, study hard is not equal with

having a good grade in this subject, and another one is, in some class, having a good grade in

class test does not mean you understand and accept the knowledge in this class. (Guskey, 2001)

The effective and easy approach of using test has been introduced that, first of all, give an

introduction of the test, for example, the type of the question, the range of the book chapter.

Then, after students finished the test, as teacher, you need calculate the questions which students

missed as the tally. (Guskey, 2001) In the end, if there is no significant problem in the test,

teacher can go to nest step directly. However, if half the students miss a clear concise question on

concepts that was taught, apparently that concept wasnt taught very well. (Guskey,2001) give a

feedback on the questions which most students left, and reteach his question in the class.

In my opinion this article is quite useful. Since author gave some strategies which

teacher can use after the test to make their class more effective. Teacher should clarify the aim of

the test, not to gain a good grade, but reflect students and teachers achievements in class.

(Guskey, 2001) And that is also match what we learned in the Instruction Alignment class about

how assessment worked in the classroom. Secondly, after the test, teacher can organize student

and share the strategies of learning this subject to the students who still need work on that.

Besides, teacher should help low achievers find outclass help, (Guskey, 2001) for example, using

central office or personal help from needed students. Through what we learned, that is kinds of

Win-win cooperative learning for both students, the students who shared can summarize their
RUNNING HEAD: Reflection of Using Test as A Tool to Improve Teaching

strategy again, and the asker can get more information about how to learn. Thirdly, students

should foster learning strategies by themselves. After the exam, they need work hard on the

questions they missed, taking notes and giving analyzation of that questions.

I think this is an educational and skillful article, we can use it in the future teaching. Class

assessment as a qualified tool, but sometimes it may become a distortion of education aim. Back

my country, teacher and society already give test deeper mean. Test was not a tool to evaluate

how is students and teachers doing in class any more, senior intelligence, a ticket to inter well-

known high schools or universities are becoming the aim of test. But in Guskeys article (2001),

there is one point which I really like is that he clarified meaningful study again in this article,

which is true aim of test in the class. Students and teacher both should be responsible to this

class. Test as a proper way to identify teachers and students responsibilities. Students

understands meaningful learning through the test, which is to check out what they left in the

class, cooperated study to help other students solve their missing, foster a learning strategy.

In this article, author had solved the first-class common problem which is study hard is

not equal with having a good grade in this subject. However, the second problem, having a good

grade in class test does not mean you understand and accept the knowledge in this class, has not

given a direct answer. According to my experience, I can speculate the test questions according

with the previous test experience, in my country we call them low of setting question. Basing

on this, I can have a satisfy grade, but it does not mean I learn this subject will. In this part, I

wonder author can give detailed solutions on that.

In conclusion, this is good article. Author gave clear strategy of class assessment, and

improvement steps after test. Besides, in this article, author used critical thinking to discuss both

the rules of teacher and student in the class.

RUNNING HEAD: Reflection of Using Test as A Tool to Improve Teaching

Guskey, T. R. (2001). Use Test Results as Tools to Improve Teaching. The Education Digest, 25-
28.