Give a Pop Quiz

Steve Raybine:

Blog #88:

Give a Pop Quiz


If a teacher is having problems with students showing up for class, he or she may ask himself or herself, "Is there anything I can do to solve this problem?" Yes! There most definitely are several approaches one can take to eradicate this problem.

Firstly, a teacher should state in the course syllabus that class attendance accounts for a certain percentage of the final grade. If a student misses a specified number of classes, his or her grade will be reduced commensurately. If this method fails to inspire the student to attend class, I have discovered another method that works effectively.

Fact: most students are very concerned about their test grades. How well they do or do not perform on a test or quiz can initiate the desired change in behavior. I have found that giving an unannounced "pop" quiz which covers classroom discussion to be an effective means of insuring classroom attendance. Students are never 100% certain that a quiz will not be given during any class period. Therefore, if a student's erratic class attendance is not improved via the imposed penalty stated in the syllabus, the teacher should try giving intermittent, unscheduled pop quizzes. Students' preoccupation with their test grades may provide the necessary stimulus to solving this frustrating and disruptive dilemma for all concerned.


Copyright 1994 Steve Raybine
All Rights Reserved

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