How Classroom Quizzes make Students Smarter

Feb 17, 2015

“When was the Second World War fought?”, came the next question of the quizzing session of Joel’s History classroom. Promptly, the teacher noticed at least twenty-five enthusiastic hands raised, all ready to blurt out the answer! You could almost feel the pulse of the classroom vibrating with excitement during the quiz.

During the beginning of the term, Joel and his classmates used to struggle trying to memorize the dates in History. Or, the formulas in Maths and even the definitions in Biology. Somehow, somewhere, they confronted a stumbling block in academics. But, things started changing immediately after Joel’s school principal implemented a ‘classroom quiz’ policy.

Undoubtedly, conducting classroom quizzes is one of the best tips for the modern teacher. Because, more often than not, most students have fleeting attention spans. Haven’t you noticed students yawning just thirty minutes into a class? And, sometimes I feel sorry for these young brains. Students today are constantly fighting the rat race towards excellence, so it’s almost ‘all work and no play’ for them!

In such a scenario, teachers must make attempts to energize the entire class. This would motivate learners to listen to teachers and learn their lessons swiftly. Read on to know how classroom quizzes make students smarter:

  • Motivates students: When students are asked short questions in the presence of their fellow classmates, they give their best shot in answering them accurately. Which student doesn’t like to impress his friends or his teacher? And youngsters love participating in quiz contests. So, if a quiz is organized in class daily, it motivates students to learn their lessons regularly once they return home. You can motivate them further by presenting toffees to the winners or promising them extra marks during class tests.
  • Increases class participation: Guess what, classroom quizzes is an excellent way to make History interesting. Not only History, but Science and Math also become more entertaining if these classes are started with a quick dose of rapid-fire questions. It encourages each and every student to participate actively in the classroom. And teachers would find even the most introvert learners displaying interest in interacting with their peers during such quizzes. Students are thrilled to let teachers know that they are aware about certain answers.
  • Smart revision strategy: Most pupils are too lazy to revise the chapters or definitions they learn. Consequently, their brain refuses to retrieve the information it has been fed. When they are asked questions, they attempt to recall this information. Therefore, in this way their lessons are being revised in a unique way. In addition, serious students would review their lessons every evening to perform well in the classroom quiz the next morning. These question-answer sessions enable students to retain lessons in the long run.
  • Inspires team-work: During quizzes, teachers generally classify students into groups. With every question answered appropriately by a student, his group earns an extra point. This compels students to cheer for their team. And also, to communicate with their team before they reply to the questions shot at them. Team-building activities like quizzes bring students together, as they strive to meet a common goal and learn how to cooperate with each other. They prepare students for future group discussions for job interviews.
  • Promotes punctuality: Successful people are always punctual. And as you already know, you must practice something daily if you wish to make it a habit. As a rule, quizzes are always scheduled at the beginning of classes. So, obviously, you cannot afford to turn up late, unless you are planning to miss it. I have noticed how several students strive to reach school on time, just because they are addicted to their classroom quiz contests! Indirectly, quizzes check students from being late.
  • Builds confidence: When quizzes are arranged in a class, many students are capable of flaunting their knowledge in class. This makes them more confident and helps them develops a powerful self-esteem. As they are armed with more knowledge, they hardly feel tensed before their final exams. Moreover, their general knowledge improves too, to a great extent. They feel confident to discuss a particular subject with their teachers and peers that has been quizzed about. This stimulates them to learn better and more effectively.
  • Identifies knowledge gaps: Some of you might be unable to understand and analyze certain portions of the classroom lecture. And, some others are hesitant to approach their teacher for clarifying their queries. When you are trying to answer quiz questions, you are trying to recollect whatever was taught to you in the previous classroom lecture. So, if any topic or area is unclear to you, it is promptly identified. Identification of knowledge gaps is crucial to achieving good grades in exams.
  • Triggers curiosity: Quizzes spark a lot of discussion and debate about a particular topic or subject inside the classroom. Naturally, it triggers an element of curiosity amongst students. They keep asking questions to quench this thirst of knowledge – that ultimately assists them in grasping their lessons properly. Unless your students are really curious about what they are learning, they would never be competent and confident about it. So, of you are looking forward to active class participants, include quizzes in the routine.

Introduce some exciting quiz contests in your classroom today, dear teachers. Your students would love you for it! It would usher innovation into academics and make learning more interactive as well. Why not try it out from today onwards? Students would actually look forward to your classes thanks to the quizzing sessions.

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