1. …make it a reality for your students. Lisa A. Sheldon, MS. M. Ed Greenfield Community College MTA Summer Conference August 5 th, 2013 About unresolved test anxiety: “It will take you over and it will take you out.” --GCC Instructor

2. Presentation outline Test anxiety: The good, the bad & the truly ugly Influencing factors What can STUDENTS do about it? Resources and skill development What can INSTRUCTORS do about it? Setting the stage for success New thoughts about exams

3. What is text anxiety? Performance Anxiety It interferes with test preparation and performance Prevents students from showing or demonstrating what they have learned and know Types: Test anxious students Unprepared students State anxiety

4. What is text anxiety? Signs of text anxiety in your student’s head: Mental blanking out Racing thoughts Difficulty concentrating Negative self-talk about: Past performance Consequences of failing How everyone else is doing Knowing the answers after the test

5. What is text anxiety? Signs of text anxiety in your student’s body: Nausea Rapid Pulse Rapid breathing Sweating Shaking & trembling Headache Dry mouth Muscle tension Sleeplessness

6. What is text anxiety? Other characteristics: Timing: Before, during and after the main event Both types impair performance: Somatic: worry and fear Cognitive: ability & processing Trait v. state anxiety

7. What is text anxiety? Causes 1. Test anxiety is a learned behavior. 2. Association of grades & personal worth. 3. Feeling of a lack of control. 4. Teacher who embarrass or shame students. 5. Being placed in courses above your ability. 6. Fear of alienation from parents, family, and friends due to poor grades. 7. Timed tests and the fear of not finishing. http://www.wvup.edu/academics/more_test_anxiety_tips.htm

8. How can test anxiety be good? When at appropriate levels… It is a normal reaction to testing For a certain group of students: Increases motivation to study Focuses attention on studying tasks Promotes deeper levels of engagement with material Stimulates organizational thinking Increases empowerment and self-efficacy

9. When test anxiety is bad… Students earn lower grades Stress increases and can affect health Physical illness Greater susceptibility to colds Self-doubt and loss of confidence They lose control over the testing situation

10. …and when it is truly ugly. Test anxiety becomes self-perpetuating Students lose self-confidence Feelings of failure and negative self-talk take over They fail and drop classes And…they leave school

11. Quiz Time… My rules How much do you know about test anxiety? 1. With a partner, complete the pink Test Anxiety quiz. 2. You will have 5 minutes to mark all your answers. 3. Speak as loudly as possible and feel free to walk around the room. 4. Anyone missing more than 2 answers will be asked to leave the presentation.

12. What is text anxiety? The Quiz 1. Students are born with test anxiety. 2. Test anxiety is a mental illness. 3. Test anxiety cannot be reduced. 4. Any level of test anxiety is bad. 5. All students who are not prepared have test anxiety. 6. Students with test anxiety cannot learn math. 7. Students who are well prepared will not have test anxiety. 8. Very intelligent students do not have test anxiety. 9. Attending class & doing homework will reduce all test anxiety. 10. Being told to relax during a test will make you relaxed. 11. Doing nothing about test anxiety will make it go away. 12. Reducing test anxiety will guarantee better grades. http://www.wvup.edu/academics/more_test_anxiety_tips.htm All FALSE

13. Test Anxiety: Cause and effect Sheldon, L. (2010) Test Anxiety: Influencing Factors and Potential Remedies for College Students. Unpublished paper

14. Test anxiety: Influencing factors Coping mechanisms Personal Beliefs & empowerment Self-efficacy Agency Expectations Locus of control Perception Threat v. challenge appraisal Affect Optimism v. pessimism Disposition

15. Test anxiety: Influencing factors Personality type and inherent traits Response to stimuli Environmental and situational stressors Generalized anxiety

16. Test anxiety: Influencing factors Skill development School foundations: readiness to learn Experience in the college environment Study skills: surface v. deep studying Experience with specific subject matter

17. Test anxiety: Influencing factors Cognitive and meta-cognition How students think and use knowledge Attention to learning and information processing Strategies for learning Expenditure of energy on emotions v. cognition Test taking strategies Comfort with different types of exams and questions Data recall Synthesis and integration

18. Reducing Anxiety: Target areas Skill enhancement Best practices of successful students Empowerment Resources College and classroom Physical interventions & emotional control Health and wellness Short-term and long-term relaxation techniques control emotional (somatic) & worry (cognitive) test anxiety

19. What can STUDENTS do? Best practices to reduce test anxiety: Somatic Control emotions Limit negative self-talk Visualize Verbalize or journal Review what has worked before Relaxation techniques Deep breathing Avoiding caffeine and stimulants Good sleep and nutrition Exercise

20. What can STUDENTS do? With your neighbor, share your best advice and techniques for effective studying. What works?

21. What can STUDENTS do? Best practices to reduce test anxiety: Cognitive Study Style: Distributed learning v. cramming Online resources Text book Creating a study space and schedule you studying Getting a tutor/ peer tutoring services Study Groups PRACTICE

22. What is an instructor to do? For test anxiety related to lack of preparation, what are your actions and suggestions? What fits with your class and discipline? What fits with your personality? What fits with your students needs? For test anxiety at the emotional and trait level what kinds of interventions might be most appropriate?

23. What can INSTRUCTORS do? Instructors are an important part of testing Impact both + and – emotions about testing Course and classroom policies Preparing for the testing event Helping mechanisms and Interventions Providing help and resources

24. What can INSTRUCTORS do? Best practices to reduce test anxiety Invite Student Communication Post your office hours Encourage students to visit and talk about material or course concerns Write students notes & email Help them review old exams to understand where they need more skill development Make yourself approachable & welcoming

25. What can INSTRUCTORS do? Course and classroom policies High stakes testing How much is a test worth? What is the right balance? Is a cumulative exam appropriate? Evaluation through other means Portfolios Projects Journals Performance-based items or events

26. What can INSTRUCTORS do? Preparing for the testing event before it happens Stimulate strong learning during the course Focus attention Movement and dynamic activities Interesting jokes, pictures & activities create excitement Provide organized learning structures for students to contextualize their learning Learn what is unclear to your students: Muddiest point, one-minute papers, peer sharing Promote distributed learning Allow time and space for students to practice the types of questions they are likely to see on exams

27. What can INSTRUCTORS do? Helping Mechanisms and interventions Review sessions Discussion of test format Encourage students to ask for clarification during the exam Study groups Review sheets & content information Practice questions and sample quizzes Promote exam triage when students get stuck

28. What can INSTRUCTORS do? During the assessment Quite, distraction free-environment Time allowance Testing center as alternative site Barriers Allow students to ask questions Read questions to students Rephrase Define words Allow students to go the bathroom, drink of water, etc. Suggest that students Read the entire exam and ask questions as a class Use the exam as a resource Skip questions they don’t know Start with questions they know

29. What can INSTRUCTORS do? During the assessment…what often doesn’t work Crib cards Open book in-class exams Team or partner exams

30. What can INSTRUCTORS do? Providing help and resources Academic Counseling Personal Counseling Tutoring services Share study tips and techniques Discuss how to study for your class Invitations to office hours Writing notes to students

31. What can INSTRUCTORS do? Writing and giving a good test Vary types of questions to acknowledge different learning styles and strengths Familiarize students with format and question type Make exams short and manageable Test what matters—concepts not trivia Reasonable time limits or untimed tests prevents panic Question choice: A or B Share grading rubrics with students Control environment Physical barriers to give students privacy

32. Time for a paradigm shift Can exams be a teachable moment? Students are highly aroused and motivated Encourage questions Read their work to let them know if they are on the right track Reinterpret question Oral exams: can the student tell you the answer?

33. Questions?