cumulative finals

[tasha howe]

i don't give cumulative finals because there is way too much material to cover in classes like intro. psych. there are implicit ideas that are cumulative, such as the diathesis-stress approach, behavior modification, the effects of stress, etc. where they need to carry forth important ideas throughout and show that knowlege on critical thinking exam questions. however, i feel that the material we teach is not that vitally important in the long run. how many facts do you remember from college? probably not many. what i hope they keep for the long term is critical thinking, knowing how to solve problems and look for answers themselves, and exhibiting good oral and written communication skills. of course for the semester they are in my course, they need to know the facts, but other assignments such as integrative papers and homework assignments capture their cumulative knowledge well. with 3 other courses for which they have to study during finals week, i don't feel the need to make them agonize over a review of all the specific facts from the entire course. my finals are just another unit test.

--
***********
Tasha R. Howe, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Psychology (Developmental)
Transylvania University
300 N. Broadway
Lexington, KY  40508
Phone: (859) 233-8144
FAX: (859) 281-3507
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Website: http://www.transy.edu/homepages/thowe/ftpdpages/index2.html
Another website I created: http://www.scbwi-midsouth.com/
  ---
You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]