Loretta,
There are different kinds of pretests, too. Before a test, as a review is terrific. Other ways to pretest may involve at the beginning of a course to see where the students are in their prior learning, at the end of a course to encourage and to show how much progress has (or hasn't) occurred, at the beginning of a particulary difficult topic to see where special emphasis is needed, and to assess a teachers learning effectiveness. Pretesting is a great tool!
Barry Westling
