Team Readiness Assessments
Team readiness assessments (TRAs) are given every two weeks to assess your readiness for the more complex thinking required during application exercise. These assessments measure recognition & basic comprehension of (1) essential terms, (2) primary sources, and (3) key images. A number of these same questions then reappear on the final exam.
NOTE: each TRA takes place after a two-period guided reading session introducing the readings, but before the in-depth processing of readings done during application exercise. Most students thus need to allow more time than they are used to for reading and studying assigned materials on their own.
Logistics --> the Readiness Assurance Process
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Individual TRAs must be taken on-line before coming to class on the third day of each two-week period (see syllabus for exact dates). Each TRA will become available shortly after the preceding class session; to take the test you must have a valid Saclink username and password and have been added to SacCT. The individual TRA is open-book and open-note, but you may not consult others during the test. (See my statements about the importance of academic honesty in iFAQ, #10-13.)
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In class, I will give you a paper copy of the same TRA and you will then convene with your team members to take it. IMPORTANT: the team TRA is closed-book and closed-note; that is, once in your team, you must choose the correct answers, and convince other team members if needed, based on what you remember of what you have read and heard.
- Once finished with the team test, you should pick up a "TRA question analysis" form and decide if there are one or two questions you felt were to difficult or misleading. You can then TAKE OUT YOUR READING MATERIALS and write an analysis of the question that specifies in what way it is difficult or misleading. Alternatively, using the opposite side of the form, you may also submit an alternative question which I may use on some future TRA. A successful question analysis and effective alternative question may both receive up to 1 extra point of credit for the team (= 10% of the TRA score).
- Following each TRA, I will guide teams in brainstorming ideas for the upcoming ATT, during which time we will also consider the relevant of each question on the TRA.