By Jessica Mallard
With scratch paper in one hand and a student ID in the other, BYU students continually face the all too familiar anxieties of the testing center.
'You can never feel that good when you are going to take a test,' said Christine Smith, a history major from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. 'It is kind of intimidating, and I just feel more comfortable taking tests in class. It''s less nerve racking.'
A few BYU professors are steering away from the traditional testing center and trying new, innovative alternatives.
Students in chemistry professor David Dearden''s class use 'clickers' to do quizzes and participate in lectures. The quizzes are set up through Power Point and the students access the quizzes through radio-based transmitters. This new system is called Turning Point.
'I think it improves the interaction that students have within the classroom, and it draws them into the material,' Dearden said.
The initial motivation to use the 'clickers' was to improve class attendance, but he said the new system has helped perfect the way he teaches and the way students learn.
'They can''t just sit there and be passive - they have to give feed back, and they have to be thinking,' Dearden said.
Most of the time professors have to wait for quiz or test scores to see if their students are grasping the concepts. However, the clicking method gives immediate feedback that allows professors to know if they need to go over certain areas in more detail or if their students understand the material being taught.
'The new systems helps me a lot to know if I am teaching things right,' he said.
Ross Flom, an assistance professor of psychology, said he typically offers students the option of taking their finals in class rather than the Testing Center.
'I want people to demonstrate what they know and while the Testing Center is convenient for the faculty, I want my students to be able to demonstrate what they know without the added stress and pressure,' Flom said.
Some people like to take tests in the context in which they learned the material - the classroom, he said.
Blackboard is also a new alternative to test taking.
Kathryn Egan, a professor in the Communications Department, uses Blackboard for weekly tests. Her finals are on blackboard as well.
'It is easier for students,' Egan said. 'I think it''s much more valuable to take tests at a convenient time.'
Through Blackboard, Egan is able to maintain personal contact with the students. She said she also finds that students remember the material taught years later as a result of using Blackboard.