Re: [HAPS-L] Experiment in the Final Exam format

["Peggy LePage" <plepage@xxxxxxxx>]

Well said Murray...while reflecting on this very subject during my sabbatical I came to the same conclusion.  My efforts are directed more to developing clearly stated objectives and outcomes as well as providing feedback what it takes to be a successful learner etc.  
How are things going for you now?  Happy to see the snow?
Happy New Year,
Peggy 


----
Peggy LePage
Professor of Biological Sciences
North Hennepin Community College
PLEPAGE@xxxxxxxx     peggy.lepage@xxxxxxxxx
>>> Murray Jensen <msjensen@xxxxxxx> 12/19/06 9:32 AM >>>

Exam Experiments....

I use to teach in a college that focused on developmental education ? along
with biology we taught the skills needed to succeed in college, e.g., how to
study, how to take an exam, how to work in a group, etc.

One of my gimmicks for promoting studying was that I would post ³test stems²
on the internet a few days before an exam.  Test stems were just parts of
questions ? for some questions I would give the top part of the question
(the stem)  ³How many of the following are required for muscle contraction?²
-- and on others I would give the answer options.  I would sometimes give
the whole question if it were difficult.  On a 100 question exam I would
probably have 30 stems.  For some, the stems meant the difference between
passing and failing.  However, many students just ignored them and flunked.

I worked in developmental education for about 15 years ? working with
students on the edge of passing and failing.  After 15 years we determined
that there was really only one factor between those students that passed and
those that failed ? EFFORT!  If a student does not know how to study and
does not care to learn how to study .. guess what ? they fail.  If a student
really wants to succeed, even a bad teacher can not get in their way.

Students with good work ethics succeed, those with poor work ethics fail.
This is most true for ³average² students.  Gifted students, of course, can
fake-it and still pass.  Most of us grew-up hating those students.   I enjoy
working with student who have to struggle to succeed - they¹re the ones that
make you feel like you¹re a teacher.

Murray .. In bleak Minnesota (we have no snow!)

 






On 12/19/06 8:47 AM, "Urven, Lance" <LUrven@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I gave a list of 10 pairs of essay questions to my Cell Biology class one
> semester, promising one of each pair would make up their final exam.  I chose
> at random for the exam.
>  
> One student who took the test later on a make-up basis due to illness.  I
> re-selected the questions, again randomly.  The student took the exam and left
> furious, informing me that I had picked the wrong ten.  The student had
> studied only ten of the twenty, guessing which would be selected.  Not
> surprisingly, the score on the make-up final was about 50%!
>  
> Lance
> 
> 
> From: HAPS-L-owner@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:HAPS-L-owner@xxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> James S. Miller
> Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 8:05 AM
> To: HAPS-L@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [HAPS-L] Experiment in the Final Exam format
> 
> This reminds me of a story from a faculty colleague a number of years ago.  A
> lot of students were struggling in a gen ed biology class.  The tests were a
> mixture of objective questions, short answer and one or two longer essay type
> questions. The professor decided on one test to give the students one of the
> major essay questions in advance.  She gave them two essay questions in
> advance, and said that one of them would be on the test a week later.
> 
> Test time rolls around, and out of a class of 50, a dozen, that's *12* could
> not write a single word for the essay question.  She tried the same thing on
> the next test, and there were still six students who couldn't write a single
> thing in response to the essay question.
> 
> Hopefully that exercise prodded some people to prepare better.  If nothing
> else, it certainly undercut any room for complaining about their grade at the
>t I don't list 100 at once .... I give them throughout
>> the semester.  I encourage students to come to study sessions to work
>> together and with me (we don't have much opportunity for group work
>> outside of the lab).  I have had the same results with students coming
>> unprepared to the study sessions relying on others to dictate the
>> answers.  When it gets too ubiquitous and few students are preparing I
>> require students to share some of their prep before joining a session.
>> I have had some very PLEASANT surprises.  Many students tell me that
>> these sessions were the best prep they get for their clinicals ... so I
>> just keep doing it.
>> 
>> I experimented with putting hints in the directions.  So far only a few
>> students have picked up on it, even after they were told to read ALL the
>> directions.    I want to see how many exams it takes before word gets
>> out.
>> 
>>   
>>  
>>>  
>>>>  
>>>>> tom.lehman@xxxxxxxxxxxx 12/18/06 5:18 PM >>>
>>>>>         
>> Good day,
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> I tried something different this semester, working on an idea posted by
>> Dayton Ford previously.  I listed 100 short-answer questions (anticipate
>> a one-paragraph answer) on my website a month before the end of the
>> semester.  I told the students that 20 of these would appear, word for
>> word, on the final exam (making up 80% of the exam).  This would
>> encourage them to study the material in preparation.  I had mixed
>> results.  Some students rose to the challenge brilliantly.  Many didn't.
>> It turns out many split up the questions with classmates and just tried
>> to memorize the answers that others had written up.  I'm going to have
>> to work on this idea, as I think it has real merit.  Just wanted to pass
>> on a note of thanks to Dayton for the idea.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Meanwhile, I'm out the door and heading out of state for the holidays.
>> Safe travels and happy, restful times to all during this holiday season.
>> See you in 2007.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Tom
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> 
>> Thomas P. Lehman             Tom.Lehman@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>> <mailto:Tom.Lehman@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> 
>> Coconino Community College                   (928) 226-4282
>> 
>> 2800 S. Lone Tree Rd.
>> 
>> Flagstaff, AZ  86001
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> <mailto:Tom.Lehman@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> 
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