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Does putting a time limit on tests effect your grade?

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:00 am
by vanessawur
That's my project idea, but I don't know what to search... help me! :)

test performance

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 10:35 am
by meredithhodgkinson
I am guessing you are asking the question: What, if any, is the effect of putting a time-limit on written tests? Then comparing test results for people who take the same test - one with a time limit and one without. Is that correct? I would think there would be some educational psychology literature out there already on the subject to get you started. Educational psychology is the field your study falls in. You might get a suggestion from your school librarian as to where to look for literature at your school or from another resource.
I would try some search terms like written test performance, time-limited testing, written testing methods, optimum written testing conditions.

Re: test performance

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:41 pm
by vanessawur
meredithhodgkinson wrote:I am guessing you are asking the question: What, if any, is the effect of putting a time-limit on written tests? Then comparing test results for people who take the same test - one with a time limit and one without. Is that correct? I would think there would be some educational psychology literature out there already on the subject to get you started. Educational psychology is the field your study falls in. You might get a suggestion from your school librarian as to where to look for literature at your school or from another resource.
I would try some search terms like written test performance, time-limited testing, written testing methods, optimum written testing conditions.
you helped me so much. thanks... (still open to other suggestions...)

Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:52 pm
by SGelman
Hi Vanessawur,

Meredithhodgkinson pretty much said it all- for your project you could have 2 large groups of people [of the same age/school level] with 1 group taking a test without time limits and the other being timed. You could also do some research on test-taking anxieties and the effect of stress on test-taking. Your project idea sounds really interesting, so I hope everything goes well. Good luck!



-Susan

Effect of time limits on testing

Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:33 pm
by WJClancey
Hi Vanessawur,

I entered "Effect of time limits on testing" in Google and found several interesting reports. Here is one on language testing --

http://www.pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=23

But check the one report that Google puts at the top, it looks really interesting. When you read these reports, take some notes to be sure you really understand the methods the researchers used -- e.g., how many students? what subject material? what timings were tried? What were the hypotheses and how were the data analyzed to evaluate the hypotheses?

You can learn a great deal by studying these examples -- then invent your own study on a test subject that interests you.

I wasn't aware of this topic myself -- you've chosen an important area to study. You have me wondering -- how did these researchers explain the differences or lack of differences in their data?

Bill

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:45 am
by vanessawur
SGelman wrote:Hi Vanessawur,

Meredithhodgkinson pretty much said it all- for your project you could have 2 large groups of people [of the same age/school level] with 1 group taking a test without time limits and the other being timed. You could also do some research on test-taking anxieties and the effect of stress on test-taking. Your project idea sounds really interesting, so I hope everything goes well. Good luck!



-Susan

thanx all of you are really helping me... I appreciate it. :D

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 4:59 pm
by paige_5
You could also do a test on harder subjects. Such as subjects that kids generally have a harder time on. There could be two age groups, and you could see how it effected the two groups.
Paige

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 8:27 pm
by kathleenkimball4
Paige is right about the harder subjects thing. Keep an eye out for subjects that give kids more anxiety...like the harder sciences or math or difficult reading comprehension (if you're working with high school students). The results could be different than if you give them a simple test about verbs, subjects and grammar. Those tests are generally easier for students.

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:31 am
by vanessawur
I think i'll try that harder test idea, because i didn't think of it that way before... Thanks.

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:52 pm
by vanessawur
Just updating. I'm still open to suggestions, and I still need one more source for my bibliography. Thanks again, :D

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 10:17 pm
by Willz
One of my suggestions is to give the tests to different groups of students, with each group of people having around the same average grade on tests in a particular subject (preferably harder subjects). You might consider testing these different groups without a time limit and with a time limit. Your results may show that some groups do better with a time limit and some groups do better without a time limit.

Hope this helps!

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:03 pm
by Craig_Bridge
Some individuals have poor time test taking skills because they don't manage their time well, others are stressed, others have reading handicaps like various degrees of dislexia or uncorrectable vision problems. Others have handicaps in motor skills so they take a long time to put the answers down on paper or write down intermediate steps in math problems.

What is a test actually testing? Memory, ability to work through something and problem solve, ability to read and comprehand and draw conclusions? Memory tests on things that you've never read and studied are gussing games. Some people can read something and recall it for years. Others are good at cramming something in just long enough to take a test.

Coming up with a well controlled testing method will be difficult. If your test subjects know they aren't being graded on it, then any stress related results of timed vs untimed might not be as dramatic as graded test.