I recently gave an exam in my 300-level Brain and Behavior class, and my
students bombed it. I mean really bombed it--every last one of them. For
various reasons that don't matter, I do take the blame for it. I have been
distracted and not doing a good job of teaching the course. That doesn't
excuse the students from reading the text and knowing the material; it's
basic but important stuff such as action potentials, lobes and their
function, etc., but it can be difficult without help. My question is this:
This particular exam is worth 20% of their grade; they have 2 more exams, a
paper, and activities, each worth 20% of their grade (the activities sum to
20%). How can I correct for my part of their lousy performance? I feel we
need to move on (the semester is nearing its midpoint), but I don't want
them to go away from this course without understanding the material. Should
I repeat coverage of the material and retest them? Should I give them a
take-home assignment over it? Should I discard this test and work the
material into their activities? I've never really had this happen before
(thank goodness) and I don't want the students to suffer from my lousy job
of teaching. What would others do?
Thanks,
Carol
I have always tried to prepare students for taking exams.Most students
would like to know what will be on the test.
Although I tell them that they should know rverything in the
text,lecture.and ntes.I will make copies of the chapter objectives and ask
them to write out the answers to the chapter objectives 2) Immediately after
my lecture I go to my office and e-mail the class questions from the day's
lecture and ask them to answer the questions .And I will choose my exam
questions from the chapter objectives and the lecture questions.Re Multiple
choice questions I tell them the nature of the distribution of the MC
items,for example-there are 4 questions on the IV,6 on classical
conditioning,
7 0n Freudian theory etc etc.
I realize that not all students will take the time to write out answers to
questions.-so in order to provide an incentive
to do that I ask them to turn in the answers at the beginning of the exam
and they will be credited for 3 additional points to the exam score.
I remember the days when profs told students to read the chapters,study the
lecture materials,and know everything.
But those days are long gone. At Woodstock there was a song "with the help
of my friends" but today let students sing
" I get by with a little help from my profs."
I believe that the more work you give students the more they learn.Of
course,some will not like that.
Michael Sylvester,PhD
Daytona Beach,Florida
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