Many instructors grow weary of hearing the question “what’s going to be on the test?”
CELT Teaching Tip • March 1, 2018
Now that midterms are almost done, how to prepare students for their next exam?
Four students talking in a design studio
Many instructors grow weary of hearing the question “what’s going to be on the test?” And further, some struggle with helping students effectively study for the exams. In a 2016 Teaching Professor Blog, writer Maryellen Weimer provided teaching activities that can make exam sessions more productive for students and less of a chore for instructors. With some adaptations, a couple of these activities included:

  • What’s going the be on the test? Students take three to four minutes to look over their syllabus, notes, and coursework assignments, and write down five things that they are confident will be on the exam. The students then form groups of three to five students and compare their lists. Taking turns, the student groups can write the topics on the board – thus providing classroom generated ideas for what will be on the exam. The instructor can offer clarifying remarks for exam topics generated.

  • What makes a good answer? Instructors provide at least two examples of previous exam or essay questions. These answers can be constructed from previous semester and should be at different quality levels. Students grade the answers individually and then evaluate them as a group, focusing on what differentiates them. The goal of this activity is identifying concrete features of good answers. Students could then work on creating their own answers to the question posed and circulate their response to classmates for constructive feedback.

  • How should I study for the test? Students may rely on old standbys for studying including highlighting and re-reading class notes. Instructors can help students improve their performance based on cognitive psychology research. This research suggests studying for shorter periods across several days, quizzing and testing themselves, and trying different strategies such as reviewing alone and then with a friend. Instructors can encourage students to examine their calendars and develop a study plan over the course of several days (or weeks) to ensure studying occurs.

In addition to these tips, we encourage you to share the many resources available to students through the Academic Success Center website. This includes individualized and group-facilitated experiences through course-specific and general academic assistance such as academic coaching, Supplemental Instruction (SI), and tutoring services as well as Psych 131, an academic skills course.

See you after spring break,

Sara Marketti, Interim Director
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
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Still time to tell us about your Canvas experience

Please response to a brief survey regarding your experience teaching and using Canvas via this Canvas Instructor Survey link . This survey will be available until Friday, March 2 at 10:00 p.m.
Upcoming CELT programs
To learn more about the events listed visit CELT’s Event and Registration website and register via the Learn@ISU website. Many of these workshops are available in-person or via Zoom.
  • Meeting, Top Hat question and answer session, Mar. 7 (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)*registration not required*
  • Meeting, ISU Online Learning Community (ISU-OLC), Mar. 9 (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)
  • Award Winning Faculty Series: Information Overload: Practical Ways to Help your Students Recall Information after Graduation, Mar. 21 (12:10-1 p.m.)
  • Workshop, Inclusive Classroom Faculty Development Workshop, Mar. 22 (2:10-3 p.m.)
  • Conversation, Teaching Inclusively, Mar. 27 (4-5 p.m.)
  • Workshop, What I Wish I Had Said: Basic Bystander Intervention Skills, Mar. 28 (12:10-1:30 p.m.)
Canvas Workshops (Mar. 2 - 22 )
The CELT staff is offering four 90-minute Canvas workshops multiple times to highlight the pedagogy and mechanics behind Canvas functions. Read the workshop descriptions on  CELT's Event and Registration  website, determine which day/time you would like to attend, and register via the  Learn@ISU  website:
  • The Pedagogy of Canvas Quizzes, Mar. 8 or 22 (10-11:30 a.m.)
  • Assignments and Grading in Canvas, Mar. 6 or 20 (10-11:30 a.m.)
  • Groups and Collaborative Work in Canvas, Mar. 7 or 21 (2-3:30 p.m.)
  • Course Design in Canvas, Mar. 2 (10-11:30 a.m.), Mar. 5 or 19 (2-3:30 p.m.)
Need help figuring out grading in Canvas?
Come to Open Labs in the Library’s Rotunda area (near 281 Parks Library). Walk-in are welcome on Tue, Wed and Fri from 8:00 am to 10:00 am and from 1:00 om to 4:00 pm. Our knowledgeable graduate students will walk you through calculating and submitting midterm grades in Canvas.

Additionally, individual appointments with CELT instructional specialists can be made via online scheduling on the MyCanvas Teacher website.
Call for Proposals: 2018 Big 12 Teaching and Learning Conference at Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University's (TCU) goal is to offer the first round of proposals to the Big 12 group then open it up to the TCU community. We would like this conference to represent the Big 12 and have a diverse selection of presentations from all Big 12 schools. With this in mind, TCU has extended the call for proposals to the Big 12 group until March 15 and will offer a 50% registration discount for those whose proposals have been accepted. Notification of accepted proposals will be sent March 23, 2018.

“Instructional Methods, Innovation, and Engagement” 
Topics Include: 
  • Cultural Awareness and Inclusiveness
  • Instructional Methods Measuring
  • Student Learning
  • New Faculty Support (Full-time and Adjunct)
  • Leading from the Middle – Department Chair Development and Support

Submit a Proposal We are now accepting conference proposals for posters, conference sessions (1 hour), and workshop/training sessions (3 hours), via the Submit your proposal website.
Prefer a Print version? To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip (PDF)