There are many ways to evaluate students.  Essays, exams, presentations, homework, are several conventional categories. 

 

I have discovered a new way to evaluate my students; “The Game Show Approach!”

I occasionally spend a day treating a class quiz/assessment/evaluation (call it what you want), with a game show mentality.  The energy in the room and class participation both increase and student leave my classroom feeling real good about what they accomplished in class. 

 

The only criterion that I never change with “The Game Show Approach” is that everyone participates.  Below are the most common formats.

 

ActivExpression: 

The entire class participates with these wireless devices (see link).  The feedback from the students is immediate and everyone must participate.  When the data is displayed on my promethean board of what response was most popular….that becomes the class answer.  I will repeat the question if no response tallies 50% or more of the vote.  The instant feedback with each question enables me to also pinpoint which concept(s) I may need to refocus on.  I at times provide rewards for any answer that the class is 100% correct on.

 

Jeopardy:

This classic format involves teams.  After each question is asked, the teams write down their one answer and then display it to me.  Students enjoy competing against one another, but it is hard to guarantee 100% participation from everyone in the group.  Of course rewards should be given to the winning team/group.

 

Defector:

This evaluation method involves me asking a question, the entire class determining an answer, and then their final answer is written on the board (ActivExpression may be used as well).  At the completion of the quiz, students have a chance to defect from their class.  If they feel they could have done better, they write on a piece of paper their reason why they believe so and than I collect it.  I now have a class set of answers and a list of defectors that lost faith in their classmates.  If the class gets a 100%, the defectors have a homework assignment.  If the result is less than 100%, the defectors get the perfect score and the class has the homework assignment.  A completed homework assignment will result in a 100%. 

 

These methods all work for me and are often modified, class to class, and year to year.  Through my experience I have determined the following:

 

·       Students like to play games

·       Students like rewards

·       Class participation can indeed count as a quiz grade

·       When we have fun, we learn!

 

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Be sure to check out the “idea of the week” at www.energizetheclassroom.com .

 

-Paul Richmond

 E.T.C.