Re: Exam do's and don'ts (formerly RE: Projectile Motion)

[Rick Tarara <rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

In general this is good advice.  However, for problem solving tests it can
be questioned.  If one only tests the same types and same format of
problems, then it is very likely that what you will assess is the student's
ability to memorize previously done problems and use those as algorithms
into which new numbers can be plugged.  In order to _really_ test problem
solving skills, the test problems must be different enough so that the
students have to apply the PHYSICS and demonstrate their skills.   You have
to decide exactly what it is you want to test but also pay some attention to
the research on how students tend to approach simple problem solving.  If
your goals are consistent with algorithmic problem solving then fine--stay
with simple, level 1, back of chapter problems.  If your goal is to move
students beyond novice techniques, then the assessment tools will need to
reflect this.  The test problems don't have to come out of left field, they
simply need to be different enough so that students can't map the solution
of test problem A onto the solution of homework problem B.

Rick

*********************************************************
Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
********************************************************
Free Physics Educational Software (Win & Mac)
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/software.html
NEW:  Mac versions of Lab Simulations
********************************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: "Frohne, Vickie" <VFrohne@BEN.EDU>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 11:09 AM
Subject: Exam do's and don'ts (formerly RE: Projectile Motion)


>         In this case, Tina, I concur with your department chair. Exams are
> for assessing how well students have already learned the material, and
need
> to be designed with this goal in mind. Therefore, exam questions should be
> similar in content and style to questions that the students have already
> seen. Strive to assess their knowledge, not their innate ability. Don't
use
> the exam to try to teach the students something new. Do use the exam to
tell
> you whether the students understood what you taught them. Yes, the exam
> tests the students. But a good exam also tests the instructor.
>         If you want to challenge the students with interesting problems of
a
> type that they have not seen before, the exam is NOT the place to do it.
DO
> give them exciting and challenging problems. BUT, do it when the students
> have the freedom to make false starts and explore blind alleys. Thinking
> about a new situation takes time. There is a vast difference between being
> able to solve a new type of problem, and being able to solve ten of them
in
> an hour with your academic career at stake.
>         Regarding cheat sheets: It doesn't matter whether the student's
> cheat sheet is useful to you. It wasn't made for you. It doesn't even
matter
> whether the finished cheat sheet is useful to the student who made it. The
> true usefulness of the cheat sheet is in the synthesis effort required to
> produce it.
>
> Vickie Frohne
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tina Fanetti [mailto:FanettT@WITCC.COM]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 7:34 AM
> To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
> Subject: Re: Projectile Motion
>
>
> > > but you need to be explicit that this will NOT really help--then th=
> e hard
> part--write exam problems where it won't.  Stress that you want them =
> to be
> able to apply the knowledge on their cheat sheets to NEW situations a=
> s will
> be defined in the test problems.  <<
>
> My department chair has told me that I can't put challenging problems=
>  on the test..that the problems need to be similar to what we have do=
> ne in class.
>
> Also, the last time I let the students make up a "cheat sheet", the s=
> heets they came up with were totally useless....
>
> Tina
>
> Tina Fanetti
> Physics Instructor
> Western Iowa Technical Community College
> 4647 Stone Ave
> Sioux City IA 51102
> 712-274-8733 ext 1429
> It is prohibited for anyone to disclose, copy, distribute the contents of
> this message.   Benedictine University does not review, edit or censor
> E-Mail communications sent out through their System.  The University
> maintains and enforces policies regarding the acceptable use of its
> technology resources.  All messages express views solely of the sender,
> which are not to be attributed to Benedictine University, and may not be
> copied or distributed without this disclaimer.