Dear Tipsters, Quoting "Cowden, Craig R." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> Dear TIPsters: > > since I began teaching 10 years ago I have always done cumulative finals. > Some other instructors seem to think this is cruel of me, but I have always > figured if students couldn't remember the basics for a couple of months > they'd never remember if in the long term. I don't ask terribly detailed > questions about older material, but figure they should know Erikson's > stages, what OCD is, etc. How common is it to use cumulative finals? I do not know how common cumulative finals are. At my institution, it is up to the professor how to evaluate a course and in our department some have them and some do not. It also varies from course to course. I have them. I think that they require students to not only revise material one mroe time (which might lead to better overall retention), but also to see links and connections that they may not have realized before. Indeed, I include questions that allow the student to demonstrate that connections have been made. Progress tests during the term usually focus on particular facts, concepts, ideas etc., and are tested with short-answer questions or a mix of short-answer and multiple-choice questions. However, my final cumulative examinations never have multiple-choice questions; they only have short-answer and essay questions. Frequently, I repeat some short-answer questions from earlier tests, but the essays test facts and integration of material. Finally, the final examinations usually constitute 30% to 40% of the course grade, a similar proportion to the progress tests. If a student does better on the final than on the progress tests combined,I raise the latter grade to halfway between the two. It is always very satisfying when you see a student write a great final examination when the previous work has been poorer. They reap the benefit in two ways: the final exam. itself and the increased progress test mark. Does all this help retention 10 years later? I don't know, but I think that it increases the chances of deeper understanding. It also shows how well students can articulate the ideas in their own words without aids of any kind - surely a useful skill. Sincerely, Stuart ---------------------------------------------------- Sent via Bishop's University Webmail System http://Webmail.ubishops.ca --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
