The Many Advantages of using IPS Diagnostic Software

Robert F. Emrich
H.C. Crittenden Middle School Armonk, NY 10504

As soon as my students hand in their answer sheets for a chapter test, the many benefits of the Diagnostic Software become apparent. I quickly load the Diagnostic Software on my computer hard drive. Since I do not have a pencil scanner, I enter all the student answers for the multiple-choice part of the test using the keyboard. The whole process takes only about eight minutes! I repeat this process for each of my five classes. All the necessary data will be ready to present to my students the next day. I can choose to list each class separately, merge all the classes, and/or print individual students' results.

In class the next day, students form groups based on their lab setups (four people to a group). I pass out the test packets and return the answer sheets, which have no marks other than a circled number of correct items- The groups have about 20 minutes to talk over the questions and compare answers and reasoning strategies. The goal is to determine which questions were answered incorrectly. As is always the case, a number of students challenge my figure.

During the next 10 minutes, I present the Class Results, which lists the class average as well as each student's score and rank within the class. I also present the Summary of Comments, which lists those incorrect choices that were made by 10% or more of the students. Together we read the comments provided for each of the incorrect answers to a question. As students recognize their mistakes, you can hear groans and sighs ripple through the classroom.

In the remaining time, I pass out copies of the Individual Student Report. Each printout contains answers for each test question. For quick recognition, correct answers are printed in uppercase letters. The student's overall score, class rank, and my comments for incorrect answers appear in the printout. At the conclusion of the period, I collect all student printouts, which I keep on file. Students make individual appointments with me to review their results. These follow-up conferences, in which participation usually runs about 80 to 90%, are truly learning experiences.

The Class Results component of the Diagnostic Software lets me view each class separately, listing individual student scores, rank in class, and class average. By using the merge command of the program, I am immediately able to perform an analysis of all five sections that includes a class average, individual student rank listings, and individual student scores.

I can view each question and see the number of students who answered it correctly, along with the number and frequency of incorrect responses. By checking the frequency of certain incorrect responses, I get a clear picture of where students went wrong in their reasoning. By looking at the Summary of Comments, I am able to determine what aspects of experiments might need reinforcement and what questions and RAEs I should review with students. I can re-evaluate my method of presenting certain topics and set up reinforcement/remedial sessions for groups of students or individuals.

Perhaps the most valuable advantage of the Diagnostic Software is its role in teacher/parent conferences. Many times I have been faced with parents who tell me their child has always performed at the top of the class on written tests. Using the statistics compiled by the pro- gram, I can present to the parents clear, concise, and pertinent information regarding their child. I can quickly show where the student's score fell in relation to other students in that class, as well as the student's ranking for the grade. Using the student's reports, we can identify strengths and deficiencies. With this as a starting point, we can pinpoint topics for additional help sessions, the need for improvement in laboratory notebook preparation, and areas of math skills that need improvement are then discussed in detail. Most of my conferences end with parents expressing sincere appreciation for information they have received.