When a professor requires testing in their class, it is often because they want to know two things: 1) Is what they are teaching getting through to their students? In other words, are they making the subject understandable, and if not, how can they change what they are teaching? and 2) What stays with the student after the lecture, reading and various projects are completed?
By taking a look at the first test, exam or midterm, a student can often decipher what was being asked by the professor, what level of learning is the professor requiring of students and how are the concepts in the class being taught.
Frequently, the words in the text follow a certain pattern of learning: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. How does each of these patterns look to a student? How can you decide exactly what the professor was asking so that on your next test you can raise your score and level of understanding?
Let’s start with the easiest pattern:
Remembering. This type of learning is often used in classes from elementary school to high school and beyond – especially if vocabulary words are needed to be memorized. For example, in language classes, science classed and economics classes, terms need to be memorized and understood. If in your test you see certain words, then the professor is making sure you remember the terms. What are these words?
Understanding. In this learning pattern, the concept is more important than the terms being used. For example, knowing what a quark does is more important than spelling the term and indentifying it. So look for words such as:
Applying. In order to work with the terms and concepts of a class, often the professor wants to make sure you can take the term and concept and “take it to a higher level” by applying what you’ve learned to an example. Sometimes the professor only wants one example, but they may also put it in the form of an essay question. Some terms to watch for are:
By taking a look at the first test, exam or midterm, a student can often decipher what was being asked by the professor, what level of learning is the professor requiring of students and how are the concepts in the class being taught.
Frequently, the words in the text follow a certain pattern of learning: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. How does each of these patterns look to a student? How can you decide exactly what the professor was asking so that on your next test you can raise your score and level of understanding?
Let’s start with the easiest pattern:
Remembering. This type of learning is often used in classes from elementary school to high school and beyond – especially if vocabulary words are needed to be memorized. For example, in language classes, science classed and economics classes, terms need to be memorized and understood. If in your test you see certain words, then the professor is making sure you remember the terms. What are these words?
- List
- Describe
- Identify
- Define
- Catalog
- Name
- Classify, to name a few
Understanding. In this learning pattern, the concept is more important than the terms being used. For example, knowing what a quark does is more important than spelling the term and indentifying it. So look for words such as:
- Explain
- Interpret
- Discuss
- Demonstrate
- Clarify
- Show, are a few words in this group
Applying. In order to work with the terms and concepts of a class, often the professor wants to make sure you can take the term and concept and “take it to a higher level” by applying what you’ve learned to an example. Sometimes the professor only wants one example, but they may also put it in the form of an essay question. Some terms to watch for are:
- Illustrate
- Examine
- Apply
- Classify
- Pertain
- Order