How To Set a Test for My Students

Testing is an integral part of maths education, below are 10 direct and indirect benefits of testing mathematical knowledge as found in the study ‘Ten Benefits of Testing and Their Applications to Educational Practice’ – Henry L. Roediger III, Adam L. Putnam and Megan A. Smith

10 Benefits of Testing:

• Retrieval aids later retention
• Identifies gaps in knowledge
• Causes students to learn more from the next learning episode
• Produces better organization of knowledge
• Improves transfer of knowledge to new contexts
• Can facilitate retrieval of information that was not tested
• Improves metacognitive monitoring (the processes used to plan, monitor, and assess one’s understanding and performance)
• Prevents interference from prior material when learning new material
• Provides feedback to instructors
• Encourages students to study

“Retrieval practise from testing provides a potent boost to future retention. Retrieval practise provides a relatively straightforward method of enhancing learning and retention.”

We have established the benefits of testing, let’s now look at the ease of using the functionality of Blutick to regularly set tests for you or your students.

• You can use and adapt inbuilt tests templates, or create your own
• Tests can be set to multiple classes, and re-used from year to year
• Tests can be created automatically from courses
• Tests can be scheduled or left open (students can be sent emails when tests are due)
• Tests are automatically marked
• Results can be viewed by learner or by topic
• Full line-by-line working for every student is available
• Tests are mapped to the UK curriculum in content, scoring and design

Below is a short introduction to the capabilities of Blutick Tests, for a full overview of the functionality and capabilities of Blutick Tests see our knowledge base How To Guide

How do I create a Test?

Go to Manage Tests and click the green “Create a Test” button.

On the Create A Test page, you will need to enter a name for your test and use the drop-down menu to choose a template test.

Templates are available for several year groups and topic areas, and can be added to and edited to suit you.

If you wish to create your own test from scratch, select “Empty Test (0 questions)” from the menu.

Click the green “Create Test” button.

Use the dropdown menu to choose the class you wish to set the test.

If you want to set the test for more than one class, click the purple “Add Another Class” button and choose additional classes.

To remove a class, select the “Remove Class” option in the dropdown menu.

The toggles allow you to control if the students can attempt the test more than once, and let you set a date for the test.

If you would like your students to be notified by email that you have set a test, check the box. Please note that this will only happen if we have valid email addresses for your students!

Test Content shows each question in a blue box. Topic names and question levels are displayed, and you can drag the blue boxes into an order that suits you.

Use the + buttons to add more questions.

To remove a question, click the x in the top-right corner of the box.

When you are happy with your question choices and order, click the green “Update Test” button.

A confirmation message will appear. You can see what your students will be set in a preview by clicking “Preview Test” here, or from the Manage Tests page.

How do I save a Test to use again?

Save your Tests to use again by clicking the green “Create Test Template” button in the top-right corner of the edit or create test page.

This will allow you – and other teachers in your Blutick School – to set this Test again.

How do I manage my Tests?

At the Manage Tests page you can see all the Tests you have set.

From here you can edit or delete your Tests, and view the results.

The Edit Test button allows you to make changes to your test in the same way as when you create a test.

Remember to click on “Update Test” to save any changes!

How do I see my students’ results?

From the Manage Tests page, click the green “View Results” button for the relevant Test.

This will take you to a Test Summary page, where you can see an overview of your students’ work, similar to the Task Summary pages.

Click the green “View By Question” button to switch from viewing the whole class to viewing the overall results of all the questions.

Click “View By Student” to return to the class view.

Use the “eye” symbol to see a student’s working.

This will allow you to see the working for a particular student on all questions in the Test.

Do all students receive the same questions?

No. Blutick sets each student questions at the required levels on the required topics.

Given the huge number of possible questions on each topic, it is highly unlikely (although theoretically possible) that students will receive the same questions as each other.

The same is true if a student retakes a Test – the questions are unlikely to be exactly the same ones as previously seen.

How do students see their Tests?

Tests are displayed on the students Home Page. Students click the green “Complete Test” button to take the test.

When they have finished, students can go to Your Completed Tests to view their Tests.

Here they can click on “View Results” to see their Test Summary.

We’re confident you’ll love the new testing feature and the information it will give you about your students – why not give it a try today