Good enough that I was motivated to update my page immediately. Many thanks, Martha.
Martha Capreol wrote: > > Hi John and everyone, > > I give out the following website for those that have problems with multiple > choice questions in particular. It is entitled, "Test-taking advice: > Especially for the multiple-choice challenged", by Tim Rogers and Don Kline > at the University of Calgary. > > www.psych.ucalgary.ca/CourseNotes/mcadvice.html > > Cheers, > Martha > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John W. Nichols, M.A." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 10:04 AM > Subject: Re: "poor test-takers?" > > > What you are describing is a byproduct of the anti-testing movement, I > > think. > > > > I agree with you in part, and disagree with you in part. For the most > > part, the agreement and disagreement involve different parts. > > > > I agree that, for the most part it is students who are poor students > > (poor study skills and inadequate study time and skills) who make the > > claim. > > > > Test taking, however, does involve a number of skills that might be > > considered at least partially independent of study skills. There are > > also test-taking attitudes that are involved. > > > > I am addressing multiple choice testing only. That is what I use and am > > most familiar with. I think mc tests can be as good at assessing the > > acquisition of information as essay questions, if they are properly > > done. > > > > One skill that I am thinking of in particular is the ability to maintain > > mental flexibility -- to hold several "what ifs ..." in mind at the same > > time while the question is being considered. > > > > Also, many students seem to have not learned the "tricks of the trade". > > I direct them to their Study Guides and some of the sites on my "Study > > Skills" page ( http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/skills.html ). > > It may be woefully out of date, but there are several outstanding > > sites. Most of them also have tips on taking tests. (Consider that to > > be a thinly veiled invitation to Tipsters to recommend other good sites > > they know about.) > > > > And, finally, many seem to have had teachers who have used the kinds of > > questions that I call "give-aways". The distractors are so obviously > > wrong that the correct answer is the only possibility (example, Columbus > > discovered the Americas in 1425 BC, 1492, 1962, 2002). In my always > > humble opinion, there must always be at least one distractor that is a > > plausible answer except for something fairly distinct that the student > > should be expected to know. (I am thinking of something like the > > amnestic characteristic that usually distinguishes "night terrors" from > > regular nightmares in children.) > > > > Beth Benoit wrote: > > > > > > As the winter term ends, I'm once again faced with the confident, > unshaken > > > belief by some students that they "just don't test well." This phrase > seems > > > to have become very well-known and is most certainly over-used. > > > > > > I'm skeptical that such a condition exists. > > > > > > I think that there's probably no specific reason why a person who is > bright, > > > well-studied, and has the expected amount of academic ability and > language > > > skills (taking a test in a second language would be a different kind of > > > challenge, for example) would routinely do poorly on a test because they > > > have some anomaly - genetic or otherwise - that makes them unable to > > > demonstrate their brilliance on a test. > > > > > > I'm not referring to people with anxiety disorders or phobias or > learning > > > disorders. The "poor test-takers" in my experience are students who > just > > > whip that phrase out as though it's a personality characteristic, and > I'm > > > tired of it. They often announce this even before the first test. An > > > apparent expectation is that I should create some magical test that will > > > demonstrate the brilliance that lies deep in the soul of this > untestable. > > > > > > I don't mean for this to get into another one of those endless > diatribes, > > > with the same posters replying and arguing with each other about whether > > > tests are the perfect collegiate vehicle while the rest of us drum our > > > fingers and click on the delete key. > > > > > > I'm more inclined to believe that having failed to learn good study > skills > > > seems a more likely description to me than that the hapless student is > > > saddled with some cognitive defect. > > > > > > Send me something. (Just kidding.) > > > > > > Beth Benoit > > > University System of New Hampshire > > > > > > --- > > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > -- > > > > ----------==========>>>>>>>>>> ��� <<<<<<<<<<==========---------- > > Sometimes you just have to try something, and see what happens. > > > > John W. Nichols, M.A. > > Assistant Professor of Psychology > > Tulsa Community College > > 909 S. Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119 > > (918) 595-7134 > > > > Home: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols > > MegaPsych: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/megapsych.html > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- ----------==========>>>>>>>>>> ��� <<<<<<<<<<==========---------- Sometimes you just have to try something, and see what happens. John W. Nichols, M.A. Assistant Professor of Psychology Tulsa Community College 909 S. Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119 (918) 595-7134 Home: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols MegaPsych: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/megapsych.html --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
