Week 8: Assess

Introduction

Open-book tests are a very particular type of assessment. They might at first sound very easy. What could be easier than having the book in front of you during the exam? It’s like sanctioned cheating! Nothing could be further from the truth. Open-book exams are about deeper understanding of the material, not simple regurgitation of facts and details; and they can be much harder than closed-book exams.

You may be expected to apply material to new situations, analyze relationships, synthesize material, or evaluate a statement using your material as evidence. On an open-book test, your time will be limited. You need to be able to find data, quotes, examples, and/or arguments quickly.

In this unit’s assignments, you will be asked to develop a plan for organizing your materials for an open-book test. Though you do not have exams in this course, this is a chance to create your strategy for success before you need it! You can use a well-thought-out plan throughout your college career. The organization skills will also help you in your new career.

1. Writing assignment 1: Reflect: Do I have Test Anxiety?

In class, or as homework, free-write for at least 15 minutes on the following questions or prompts:
What is my personal definition of test anxiety? What "symptoms" do I have?
If I have never had test anxiety, why is it that I like tests? Does this point to some clues as to what type of learner I am?

2. Exercise 1: Assess: Organizational Plan Step 1: Where Am I Now?

As with the other learning plans you have developed in the course, it helps to know where you want to go. How well do you want to do in your courses? Do you want to do well enough just to pass the classes? Do you want to get as much as possible out your educational investment? It helps to know this to set your plan for studying for tests, which will determine a large part of your grades in other courses.

It doesn’t take a tremendous amount of time to organize materials for an open-book test, but it does take a fair amount of energy and concentration. For this simple step, write a paragraph describing how you typically organize your materials for tests. Be specific, including how you would prepare for an open-book test, hypothetically, if you had one tomorrow.

3. Analysis 1: Plan: Organizational Plan Step 2: Where do I Need to Improve?

1. Create a chart like the one below using MS Word. List the results of your self-assessment of how you typically prepare for tests under the appropriate heading.
2. List the strategies presented in your text, Strategies for Learning in a Technical Environment or in the class discussions for how to improve your organization.
3. What do you need to do that is different?

4. Project 1: Apply: Organizational Plan Step 3: My Action Plan for Test-Taking Success

Create an action plan for getting to where you want to be by developing specific strategies you can incorporate into your study habits starting today. Use the study strategies you devised in past units and think about this test-taking strategy comprehensively.

You can choose your own format: PowerPoint presentation, as if you were presenting this strategy at a meeting, or a narrative in a MS Word document, or a chart outlining your strategy in an MS Excel document.

Delivery of this Unit’s Assignments:

Attach your reflection from the Writing Assignment and the paragraph for the Exercise. In addition, attach the chart for the Analysis and your deliverables for the Project.
Before you submit the assignments, check it first!
o Did you list how you typically organize your materials for tests?
o Did you assess your organization skills and write your assessment in the chart?
o Did you create your plan for improvement?

Lab 1: Microsoft Word 3

Microsoft Word Project 5 and 6

Microsoft Word Exam 3

Lab 2: ITT Technical Institute Program Roadmap: Moving Ahead

What is the purpose?
This week, you will enrich your understanding of your chosen program of study by delving into career options that can open for you upon graduation. Research is a critical part of the job-searching process you will undertake in a few years. Starting now, it’s important for you to understand what opportunities you will have and how you can best prepare yourself. In this Lab, you will use the ITT Tech Virtual Library and your ITT Technical Institute Program Roadmap to discover the possibilities.

What are the steps?

Task 1: Access the ITT Technical Institute Program Roadmap and navigate to the information on your school and chosen major. Refresh your memory on the core areas and skills you will be learning in the course of your study at ITT Tech.

When you have refreshed your memory and have in mind the skills you will need, open the ITT Tech Virtual Library. Conduct research on the ITT Tech Virtual Library to locate career information related to your field of study.

The following paths will help you to get started on the career research in the ITT Tech Virtual Library:

• ITT Tech Virtual Library> Reference Resources> Careers
• ITT Tech Virtual Library> Program Links> General Education/Technical Basics

Task 2:

Open a Word document and save it as "My Career Opportunities.doc."
In the document, list three job titles or job opportunities that you may be interested in and that you have found in your research.

Write a paragraph answering each of the following questions:

a. What are the main functions of each job? Use good formatting skills in Word to clearly display the job you are describing. For example, use Word formatting techniques that you have learned such as subheads, bold, italics, underlining, and lists that clearly show the skills you are writing about.

b. What educational and skill requirements are needed in order to perform each job?

c. Describe how your current field of study will prepare you for each of the three jobs.

Deliverables and Format:

Submit your answers in no more than three pages in a Word document, closely following the instructions of the Lab.
Font: Garamond; 12 point
Line Spacing: Single