Unlearning Anxiety
Testing is useful not only for assessment but for learning itself . But for students, even the word “test” is more likely to evoke anxiety than enthusiasm. So how to reclaim testing for learning and set student minds at ease?
  • Think about language: The active ingredient of learning in testing is information retrieval. Begin or end class with “retrieval practice” or “brain exercise” or “tickets to class”. Reserve the terms “test” and “quiz” for graded high-stakes assessments. If students don’t feel they are being tested, they may forget to be anxious.

  • Share the research: Trends in education come and go, but decades of research consistently suggests retrieval practice is one of the best ways to learn more and retain learning longer.

  • Embrace the struggle: Retrieval works but since it is difficult it is not always popular. Assure students that the challenge probably means they are actually learning. When a name is on the tip of your tongue and you have to struggle to recall it, that is retrieval, that means you have learned it!