Is it a Knowledge Check or a Quiz?

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In the midst of designing a facilitator-led curriculum for a client, we were met with a conundrum: according to our SME(s), one particular class just had to have a quiz at the end.

There were many problems with this idea, including the fact that  none of the other 6 courses in the curriculum ended with a quiz and that the audience was new-hires - so how intimidating would a quiz be?

We finally compromised on a Knowledge Check - that way our SME felt fulfilled (and  we fulfilled compliance requirements) but the learners wouldn't be too intimidated  (we hoped).

What's the difference?

A quiz is used to check for comprehension. Did your attendees learn what you taught? A quiz can come in many forms - you might ask your learners to recognize an answer,  as in the case of a multiple choice text. You might ask them to recall an answer,  as in the case of fill-in-the-blank. Or you may ask them to think of the answer  by giving a "case" and asking: What should you do next? In all cases the results  of the test matter. There is a score (perhaps numeric, perhaps pass/fail). There is a record of that score. And often the scores are compared to one another - resulting in a ranking of some sort.

Alternatively, a knowledge check is more of a review. It's used to determine if  the learners can find the answer. They are often allowed to use their learning materials  (handouts, workbooks, etc.) and potentially to work together. A knowledge check  might be in the form of a game (such as jeopardy) or it might be a solitary activity.  Knowledge checks are often used to help solidify the learning, allow learners to review the content one more time, and enable them to leave the training more confident in what they learned.

A knowledge check is appropriate in all situations; a quiz is only appropriate if  you have to ensure people know the answers before they leave training. There is  some consequence to not knowing the answers (such as performing the job incorrectly),  and you need to prove the "results" of the training.

5 General Rules for Workplace Tests Part-5

Rule #5

Ordering Questions

You may wish to group evaluation questions by topic or you may mix them up. Back on the job, the work people encounter won't show up in any kind of logical sequence – so mixing questions up has its merits.

On the other hand, keeping questions grouped allows you to easily spot if a learner just "didn't get" a particular topic. If all the questions on a similar topic are grouped together and the learner answers all or almost all of them wrong, either he needs retraining or the topic itself was poorly presented. If your same-topic-area questions are interspersed throughout the exam, it might be harder for you to spot a problem.

5 General Rules for Workplace Tests Part-4

Rule #4

Use Key Words

Key words assist the test-taker in figuring out the answer.

• Who triggers the respondent to look for a person or position

• What triggers the test taker to look for a thing or a process

• Where triggers them to look for a place or location

• When triggers them to look for a date or a period of time

• Why will signal them to look for reasoning.

5 General Rules for Workplace Tests Part-3

Rule #3

Stick to the Facts

Do not include trivial information - the only intention of which is to confuse the test taker. For instance: Bob and Ed left their office on K Street in Washington DC at 4:45 pm to travel to BWI airport for a 9:00 pm flight - how far is the airport from their office? The times given have nothing to do with the correct answer; in fact, Bob and Ed are irrelevant, too. 4

A better phrased question would be:

Using (a calculator, a map, an internet site) calculate the distance between K Street in downtown DC and the BWI airport.

5 General Rules for Workplace Tests Part-2

Rule #2

Give Adequate and Specific Instructions

Instructions are critical. Do everything you can to make sure test takers know WHAT to do, and WHEN and HOW to do it.

Examples:

• If there is a time requirement, state it. e.g. you must finish this section in 30 minutes

• If a tool or resource is allowed, state it. e.g. you may use a calculator for questions 11 – 20. The opposite is true as well - you may NOT use a calculator to complete this section. For each item in column A there is ONLY ONE correct answer in column B.

• It's also quite helpful to read the instructions out loud at the start of the test even when they are clearly written on the test itself. This will ensure that everyone hears, sees, and interprets the directions the same way and allows for questions before anyone begins.

5 General Rules for Workplace Tests Part-1

RULE #1

Do Not Trick Them

If you have not taught “it” in the training, it should not be on the test. In addition, your test questions should be stated in the same manner they were stated/taught in the class. For example: if you teach the three characteristics of steel, don't ask: Which one of these is NOT a characteristic of steel. It's hard for most people to have success with "null" answers and more importantly, why reinforce what you don’t want them to remember?

Basic Rules of Test Creation

With the recent popularity of LMS systems that call for testing and tracking of student results, our participants are starting to see a lot of quizzes, assessments, and certifications that are designed by a course designer or – worse – a subject matter expert.

Very few trainers (and no SME’s) have had training in how to create tests that are fair to the participant and legally defensible for the organization. Creating an equitable test is more than just asking 20 questions about the content. A test for knowledge is constructed quite differently than a test for skill. Tests for knowledge, such as paper and pencil tests, need to be constructed in such a way that the correct choice is unambiguous. They should not confuse or purposefully stump the test-taker.

Performance tests need to assess the participant’s skill as well as knowledge of the task or process. Often a person can prove they know what to do – but cannot actually perform the task.

Before inflicting an “exam” process on your participants, you must know what you are testing, why you are testing, and what you intend to do with the test results because the impact of testing is far reaching and can often be damaging to individuals as well as organizations.