Michael J. Kane wrote:
>
> I do not give make-up exams, either. If someone misses
> an exam during the semester, they are required to take
> a "special" final exam, instead of the regular final exam.
>
I typically make up at least 2 different exams for each section and build into
the schedule the chance to take retakes. If a student misses an exam then
they must take the retake. No need to deal with excuses and students have the
option to make choices on how to best spend their time.
If students take the first exam and are happy with their performance then
they can skip that class as a reward for their earlier performance, or they
can choose to take the retake exam in an effort to improve their grade (I
structure it such that they can't get a lower grade).
Alot of extra work making the exams, but students feel they have total
control over their grade (i.e., their grade isn't hurt if they are truly ill,
etc.) and don't complain about their grades. Bottom line if you have more
than one chance to show what you know and you don't do it then you tend to
take responsibility for that fact.
This system rewards doing well the first time the exam is given by giving you
time off the next time. It allows students and myself to identify weaknesses
in study habits, reading skills, etc. because we have a collection of exam
experiences to examine. Students can try out new study approaches without
fear it will hurt their grades since they can retake the exam again with their
old techniques if the changes don't help.
Simply put, I always wondered what message I sent to a student when they had
one chance to take an exam and they did poorly and we moved on like it was no
longer important, nor could they do much about it except try to do better on
future exams. The retake approach communicates that that material they didn't
master is still important even though we have moved to different topics.
Since I give a comprehensive final in my courses, it is even more important to
work on mastering the material before the final exam.
Bill
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