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Home > Workshops and Classes > Teacher Training > Beginnings > Online Beginnings > Table of Contents > By the End of Class > Creating a Student Diagnostic

Creating a Student Diagnostic

In most cases the students in your class will be strangers to you. You will not know why they chose to take the course (unless it's a requirement for everyone) or what they expect to get out it. You will not know what courses they have had which may help prepare them for the material. You will not know their skill levels in reading, writing and thinking. You will not know....

So find out. Create a student diagnostic which addresses any topic or issue which may be important to the student's success in your class. Are there any prerequisites which are important? Have students list any previous courses they have taken in this area and give you the dates when these were taken. Will there be a lot of writing (essay exams and papers)? If so, have student's give you a one-page writing sample. This heads up on their writing abilities will allow you to recommend additional help to some whose skills are clearly low. Check the list of campus resourses to find out where students can go for tutors, and free writing and math lab help. Getting help early on can make the difference between passing and failing the course.

Ask students why they are enrolled in the course and what skills and knowledge they hope to gain. If there are any instructional technology components to the course find out what the computer access issues are for students. Are they dependent on the labs? Are they dialing in from home?

If you plan on incorporating group work in your teaching, find out what their experiences have been working in teams. Some students feel that group work is a waste of time or a chance for flakey students to leech off those who are more motivated and prepared. You may need to alter your "marketing" approach to sell some of the ideas you want to implement.

Knowing your students well will assist you in teaching them. It will also demonstrate to them that you care about their success in the course. Even knowing the name a student prefers you use can make a big difference.

 

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