Box lunch session focuses on creating tests Creating tests is a very real challenge faculty face. Deciding what material should be included in an exam is just one step. Faculty also have to determine the purpose of the exam and what sorts of student learning they want demonstrated on the exam. Then there are the nuts and bolts issues to tackle: How many questions should be on the exam? In what form should those questions be posed? And of course there’s the issue of grading the exams once they’ve been completed; it’s not easy to put together an exam that helps students demonstrate their knowledge and can also be efficiently and fairly graded by the instructor. Anne Kelsch (OID and history), Ken Ruit (medicine) and Kim Crowley (University Writing Program) will present this On Teaching session, titled "Creating Tests that Measure a) critical thinking skills; b) student learning; c) writing skills; or d) all of the above." The lunch is Thursday, Jan. 24, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Room 10/12, Swanson Hall. We’ll discuss some best practices for creating exams, including identifying teacher goals for tests, ideas about multiple choice and short answer questions, tips on writing essay questions, and some thoughts on grading exams once they’ve been turned in. To register and reserve a free box lunch, call Jana Hollands at 777-4998 by noon Tuesday, Jan. 22. Please indicate if you require a vegetarian meal. -- Kimberly Crowley, Coordinator, University Writing Program, kimberly.crowley@und.edu, 777-6381