Chapter 6 FIAE

Abstract

Chapter six of Fair is Not Always Equal focuses on how to create a text that actually tests students’ understanding of the material. A test should not be ambiguous or fool the test taker, so the prompts should be very clearly stated. Wormeli also writes that tests should not be timed because by giving a student a time limit they will be put under pressure. Traditional and nontraditional methods should be used as well in order to create a balanced test for the student. Wormeli also suggests to find ways to cut down on errors, such as actually writing out the words "true" and "false" so there is no way to misread the students' answers. Another suggestion Wormeli gives is to have the missing word for "fill in the blank" sections be the last word of the sentence. This makes it easier for the student to understand what the question is asking. In summary, chapter six of the book emphasizes the importance of creating a test that assesses the students' understanding by creating tests that are straight forward, varied, and do not simply ask the student to recall memorized information.

Synthesis Cara

Most of us have taken a test that included a "trick" question or had a time limit. When we are in the classroom, we must remember how we felt when taking tests and remember why we are giving the test. A test should not consist of only one style of questioning. Multiple choice questions are okay to use if they are worded correctly and do not make up the majority of the test. A lot of students prefer multiple choice questions only because they can pass without understanding the information. True and False questions can also be used because these can test a students understanding of a lot of material in a short period of time. However, short response answers should also be included because they allow the student to show how strong their understanding is of a subject while multiple choice or true and false questions give students a chance to simply guess.