I do not usually give comprehensive finals. The main reason being that in order to make the final (comprehensive) exam reasonable in length, I would have to ask relatively simple questions from the material already given. I seem to remember a study in which they gave students a comprehensive final on the first day of class and compared it to performance during the regular final time and found only a small (but significant) amount of improvement. In my humble opinion giving a comprehensive exam does not motivate less highly involved students to "integrate the course material". On a comprehensive final, the good students do well, as always, and the poorer students to poorly, as usual. Integrating course content is a relative term anyway. Most students (as did I when I was a student) do not show much retention in declarative memory a few days or weeks after an exam. A student who takes a comprehensive exam will "forget" that comprehensive material just as they would a regular exam. Now if you want to talk about relearning with savings, that may be another story.
I also want to echo my concern about the attitude of some of the TIPSTERS who seem to be proclaiming that they are tough and the students have to suck it up, or else. Certainly psychology instructors more than anyone else should be aware of the consequences of authoritarian parenting or teaching. Finally, nobody, but nobody can tell me that I must give an exam during finals week. I usually do, but if I feel it is appropriate I will give them on the last day of class. Not at the request of students however. If I do give it on the last day, I am there during the scheduled final to discuss with students whatever they wish to talk about. I do have tenure, and I might be more accommodating if I didn't, but I would be a real troublemaker, regardless, in any college in which the department chair or the dean told me how to teach my class, assign grades, or test students. Harry Avis PhD Sierra College Rocklin, CA 95677 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Life is opinion - Marcus Aurelius There is nothing that is good or bad, but that thinking makes it so - Shakespeare > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
