Page 128 - Making Instruction Work

chap 11 3/11/97 4:59 PM Page 114

114 making instruction work

The purpose of the criterion test (skill check) is to determine
whether an objective has been achieved, so that both student
and instructor can determine what action to take next. If the
criteria have been met,the student is encouraged to move to the
next instructional unit.If the performance is weak,the problem
is diagnosed and a remedy is suggested (usually more explana-
tion or more practice). This use of a test is very different from
the practice of“give ‘em a grade and be done with ‘em.”The pur-
pose is to help rather than to label.

When to Draft Skill Checks?

The time to draft skill checks is soon after you have drafted
the objectives, but before you draft the instruction. There are
two good reasons for this. First, drafting the skill checks soon
after drafting the objectives will help you to clarify the objec-
tives. Whenever you find yourself having difficulty drafting
items that are correct for an objective, it will almost always be
because the objective isn’t yet clear enough to provide the nec-
essary guidance. Clarify the objective, and the skill check items
will fall into place.
Second, drafting skill checks soon after the objectives will
also help you to focus your test items on the outcomes to be
measured, rather than on the instructional process. It will help
you to focus on writing items that will find out whether the
outcomes have been achieved rather than on whether students
can recognize or recite material that was covered during the
instruction (except, of course, in those rare instances where
recognizing and reciting are legitimate objectives).
“But three chapters ago you said I should draft my hierarchy
after I drafted the objectives,” I hear you screaming. “Which is
it?” Easy there. Calm down. You can draft skill hierarchies or
skill checks in any order; just make sure you do both things
before you begin drafting relevant practice descriptions
(which will be described in the next chapter).