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Re: Why..



I wonder if my students are different?

Every test contains exactly the same long set of instructions. It takes two
paragraphs for me to say all the legalese that I want to on a test.

On the semester exam (the sixth test with the instructions), I have the same
instructions with a single, different line buried two-thirds of the way
down, "Do you read these every time or do you just assume that they stay the
same? If you read these each time, mark an X next to this on the page."

I want to emphasis that the instructions are always the same. I tell the
students on the first day of class that the instructions haven't changed in
years. Last year, 85% of my students placed an "X" in the margin. I can't
decide if I am happy or sad about this fact.

---

In terms of labs, I have taken the Project Physics approach. I give very few
instructions. I tell them what I want them to find and that's about it. I
describe how a few things work in advance, but really I just try to leave it
open. I help with some parts of the lab, but not everything. Figuring out
what to do can cause more learning than doing the lab.

The instructions for the Atwood machine lab consisted of explaining that we
were using the same Pasco software as last time and that the object was to
develop a procedure that works in determining a mass so that when I give you
the unknown mass, you will be able to tell me its mass to within a couple of
percent. So far, everyone is under 5%.

---

I teach at a private, competitive, non-sectarian, wealthy high school of
about 450 students.


Marc "Zeke" Kossover

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Heafner [mailto:heafnerj@VNET.NET]
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2001 3:53 PM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: Why..


On my first astronomy test this semester, 3 out of 14 students put the mark
in the correct place; the rest did not even put the mark at all! Those who
did got two extra points on the test.