We designed PASS for working with the individual student. However, we realize that resources are not always available to permit an individualized approach. Therefore, we adapted PASS to be used with the Entire Class. This is not optimal but it does have its advantages.
The advantages of the Entire Class approach include the following:
- All students benefit from PASS.
- Students have an opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning.
- Less teacher-time is required.
The disadvantages of the Entire Class approach include the following:
- The individualized approach is lost.
- Time has to be carved out of the course schedule.
- Students who may not need PASS are obliged to participate, as it becomes part of the course schedule.
Although the Entire Class approach precludes one-on-one interaction, it has been our experience that students will seek you out if they need individualized help.
Before getting started, keep in mind that there is a time factor involved. For each test, you need time to set up the PASS Excel grid and produce the Student Performance Assessment Graphs (SPAG). This needs to be completed within a timeframe that allows students to implement changes before the next test.
When using PASS with the Entire Class, you will need to schedule an introductory session plus a one-hour PASS Test Review session for each test during the semester. We have included a timeline based on a 15-week semester.
Step-by-Step Procedure
Step 1 – Choose the Complementary Assessment Tools
If you want to use some of the Complementary Assessment Tools, we recommend the Study Habits Checklist and/or Identifying Your Learning Style, because these can be adapted readily to the Entire Class setting. Decide on how you want to distribute the assessment tools (electronic or hard copy) and advise the students to bring their completed forms to the PASS Test Review Session.
If using these assessment tools, you need to give the students some guidance on how to interpret their data. We have prepared Student Guides to Interpret the Data for this purpose for Study Habits and Identifying Your Learning Style. You will take the students through this process during the PASS Test Review Session. In our experience, it is best to bring along printed copies of the Guides to Interpret the Data so that students can refer to them as they interpret their data.
The Student Profile is less applicable, however, as you will not have time to review individual Student Profiles for an entire class.
Step 2 – Schedule an Introductory Class
Allot 30 to 60 minutes in the course schedule to introduce PASS. We recommend that you do this during the first or second week of the semester.
Present any of the Complementary Assessment Tools that you have chosen to use. Advise the students to complete the forms and bring them to the PASS Test Review Session, as scheduled.
Step 3 – Prepare your PASS Test Review Session, Test 1
The PASS Excel grid, which produces the SPAG, is the heart of PASS. Therefore, in the PASS Test Review Session you should focus on teaching your students how to interpret their SPAG. The students will need a printed copy of their SPAG. We recommend a colour copy, where possible, for maximum visual impact.
These are our recommendations for preparing your presentation. We have included a sample PowerPoint presentation for you to use.
Describe the different categories and variables that you have chosen to assess (Assessing Student Performance)
Teach the students how to read their SPAG (Using Excel to Help your Students Excel). We suggest the following questions.
Content:
- What topics did I score well on?
- What topics did I score poorly on?
- Why did I do well in some areas (strengths) and poorly in others (areas that need improvement)?
Professional Component:
- How did I perform on Assessment questions?
- How did I perform on Intervention questions?
- Do I understand the difference between Assessment and Intervention questions?
- Can I explain my performance?
Functional Component:
- How did I perform on Scientific knowledge? (This is the predominant portion of any nursing test.)
- How did I perform on Communication knowledge?
- How did I perform on the remaining areas? (Legal, etc.)
Bloom’s Taxonomy:
- How did I do on the simpler-level questions (Remember/Understand) versus more complex-level questions (Apply/Analyze)?
Comparing the first and second halves of the test:
- Is there a significant difference in my performance on the first and second halves of the test?
- Did I find one half of the test easier/harder than the other half?
- Did anxiety affect my performance?
- Did I finish the test?
There are many possible reasons for differences between the first and second halves of a test in terms of student performance. Here are some situations that we have encountered:
- Students who arrive for the test in a highly anxious state may not do well on the first half.
- Students who have time-management issues have difficulty finishing the test and do less well on the second half.
- When a test is prepared by a team of teachers instead of by just one teacher, the content may be unbalanced, with one half of the test harder than the other.
You may want to prepare some general study and test-taking strategies, based on year in the nursing program. For example, strategies for time management are more appropriate for first-year students than for students in their final year. (Bank of Strategies for Success)
Because anxiety related to test-taking is prevalent among nursing students, we recommend that you address the issue here. You may want to prepare some basic strategies for dealing with anxiety related to test-taking. (Addressing Student Anxiety)
Step 4 – Present the PASS Test Review Session, Test 1
Distribute the SPAG to each student
Teach the students how to read their SPAG:
- Describe the different categories and variables that you have chosen to assess.
- Ask the students to “star” area(s) where they did well.
- Ask the students to circle area(s) where they did poorly.
- Teach the students how to compare their performance on the first and second halves of the test.
If you asked the students to complete any of the Complementary Assessment Tools, distribute the Student Guide(s) to Interpreting the Data and show them how to interpret their completed forms
If you customarily return students’ test booklets for review, you can do that in this step.
It has been our experience in using PASS that, as students learn more about themselves, they become less argumentative about marks and more reflective of what factors might have contributed to their performance. Here are some questions students can ask themselves when reviewing their test.
Overall:
- Did I finish the test?
- Did I leave many unanswered questions?
- Did I erase and/or change many answers?
For each question that you got wrong or lost marks on:
- Did I understand what was being asked?
- Did I know the content?
- Were there words that I was not familiar with or misunderstood?
- Did I use relevant information in the case to answer the question?
- Did I guess the answer?
- Was my answer clearly written?
- Was my answer vague or incomplete?
If time allows, present some general study and test-taking strategies. Discuss the topic of anxiety related to test-taking (if this is a topic you planned to introduce).
Some students may continue to struggle with their academic performance. Encourage these students to seek help in finding strategies suited to their specific needs.
Step 5 – Prepare your PASS Test Review Session, Test 2
After Test 2, prepare a revised presentation focusing on the Comparison Graphs. We have included a sample PowerPoint presentation for you to use.
The Comparison Graphs will show the students where they improved, did not improve or have done more poorly. (Comparing Student Performance between Tests)
Step 6 – Present the PASS Test Review Session, Test 2
Distribute the SPAG and Comparison Graphs.
Describe how to interpret the information in the Comparison Graphs and help the students focus on changes in their performance.
If you customarily return students’ test booklets for review, you can do that in this step. When reviewing the test, here are some questions that students can ask themselves:
Overall:
- Did I finish the test?
- Did I leave many unanswered questions?
- Did I erase and/or change many answers?
For each question that you got wrong or lost marks on:
- Did I understand what was being asked?
- Did I know the content?
- Were there words that I was not familiar with or misunderstood?
- Did I use relevant information in the case to answer the question?
- Did I guess the answer?
- Was my answer clearly written?
- Was my answer vague or incomplete?
If time allows, present some additional study and test-taking strategies.
Revisit the topic of anxiety related to test-taking (if you introduced this topic after Test 1).
Again, some students will continue to struggle with their academic performance. Encourage these students to seek help in finding strategies suited to their specific needs.
Step 7 – Prepare your PASS Test Review Session, Final Test
Generally we do not use PASS for the final test of the semester. However, if students request their SPAG, we do provide them. The SPAG from a final test of the semester can give students an overview of their accomplishments and areas that still require improvement.
Should you decide to hold a PASS Test Review Session after the final test of the semester, the process remains the same.
Suggested Timeline*
Worksheet
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Week |
Tasks |
Done |
|---|---|---|
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1 |
Introduce PASS Present Complementary Assessment Tools, if using |
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2 |
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3 |
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4 |
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5 |
Test 1 |
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6 |
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7 |
PASS Test Review Session Test 1
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8 |
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9 |
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10 |
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11 |
Test 2 |
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12 |
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13 |
PASS Test Review Session Test 2
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14 |
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15 |
*This timeline is based on 3 tests/semester.