On 26 Apr 2001, dennis roberts wrote:
> i would put a different spin on this ... if students use the crib sheet
> (which i let them have too) AND have to depend on it TO remember important
> formulas/definitions ... then this works against them since, they will then
> be spending time on "consulting" their card ... and hoping to find
> something ... when they could be using that time to work on other problems
> or items ... or give more time to problems that are a bit more complex
That is not true. In contrast to the open book exam, a crib sheet
forces the student to first organize and digest the material being tested,
and then select those items/formulas which he does not want to waste time
memorizing. If that is the case, the student treats the crib sheet
the same way that a scientist treats the CRC Handbook of Physics and
Chemistry, kept within arm's reach. The Handbook gives you the details so
you get them right, but it is up to you to understand the
underlying concepts and the overall organization of the body of knowledge
in question. If a student takes this approach, he finds that he does
not waste much time "consulting" the crib sheet.
> i hypothesize that ... crib sheet use CAN have a + impact NOW and THEN ...
> but, it is essentially a random effect ... and, if it does help ... the
> help will be minimal for any given test
The crib sheet helps students who treat it as I described above, and
it wastes time for those who don't (i.e., those who have not been able
to organize and digest the material for themselves).
> but, it can have a down side too ... if one spends too much time on MAKING
> a crib sheet and not enough time on understanding the content ... then over
> reliance on the use of a card can be detrimental
The process of organizing the material and boiling it down to a card
or a summary is, arguably, more valuable for learning than the actual
exam itself, when done right. That is because the exam can only test
a cross-section of material and understanding, whereas producing a good
summary of the entire course is quite an instructive project.
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