Re: Am I nuts? or reviewing for Students

[Rick Tarara <rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

I think that most of the responders have been missing the crucial point
here.  This was the LAST CLASS DAY.  Tina was surprised that the class was
not prepared to go over their last test in preparation for the final--but
I'm not.  I find  most students really resist facing their errors.  They
don't want to hear about the old test--even though deep down they do
understand that they will probably need to know that material to do well on
the final.  The timing is also wrong.  They really don't want to do physics,
especially _old_ physics on the last day.  I ALWAYS setup an optional review
session as close to the final as possible (this year it was on Monday and I
had a student offer: "But the exam isn't until Tuesday!  I can't be thinking
about Physics on Monday!")  I always get most of the students coming to
these...the interest is finally there.

For the last class day:

Summarize the class.  You should have laid out your goals _to the class_ at
the start of the term, so now evaluate how well they have been met.  Let
students comments on this.  Answer questions about the format of the
final--they will be interested in that.  You might save one piece of new
physics to do at the start of class--something with a demo and that is a
little flashy.  Do class evaluations--if your school doesn't do them
officially, you might want to make up a sheet of questions that you would
like answered, that you feel might help you.  Even if there are official
student evals, you might still want to ask a few extra questions for your
own benefit.  Do let them out early--not 8 minutes--but early.  That always
gives students a 'good feeling'.  Schedule that 'review' session--maybe two
(if you can't find one time that fits all).

There's plenty to do that last day, but lecturing new material to the last
moment, or trying to do a review session for which the students are not
really prepared, won't work well.

Rick

**********************************************
Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
rtarara@saintmarys.edu

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Tina Fanetti" <FanettT@QUEST.WITCC.CC.IA.US>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 8:12 AM
Subject: Am I nuts? or reviewing for Students


> It is finals week here at WIT.  Today is the last class day.  I went to my
8am class.  Gave back the test.  Asked them if they had any questions over
anything they got wrong.  Any questions about the final?  Nothing.  So my
class lasted an entire 8 minutes.
> Am I nuts to think that students want to review and might want the correct
answers on an old test?  Esp since they could show up again?
> What am i doing wrong besides not singing and dancing?
>
> tina
>
> Tina Fanetti
> Physics Instructor
> Western Iowa Technical Community College
> 4647 Stone Ave
> Sioux City IA 51102
> 712-274-8733 ext 1429