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

[Steve Clark <sclarkphd@MINDSPRING.COM>]

On Thursday, September 26, 2002, at 08:52  AM, Tim O'Donnell wrote:

>  Which brings me to me last point. I don't
> > call my tests "tests." I prefer to call them "assessments of
> > their current state of understanding." Of course, everyone
> > knows that a grade will be assigned, but I try to emphasize
> > for the students what we're really about in this class -
> > improving their understanding of the physical world.
>
> You must have really good students - all mine care about
> is the grade and their precious GPA.
Mine too, at first. Some never get it - most, I think do. But it takes
a while and I have to keep reminding them why we're in school. I think
the system teaches students that school is about grades.

My first year teaching was in a private school where the only grades we
gave was PASS or FAIL. Amazingly, most students did very well when we
took the grade pressure off of them. A few didn't and we asked them to
not come back at various times during the year. (I, unfortunately,
wasn't smart enough at the time to realize what a great idea we had and
left for a more traditional school.)

When we present grades as a form of reward (payment, if you will) we
discourage student motivation to learn. There are lots of ways to get
high grades without learning - just ask any student who will be honest
and he will tell you that he can get a good grade without learning a
thing. On the other hand, teachers need to encourage students to learn.
I try not to say "you better learn this so you'll get a good grade.
(The administration doesn't help much here. We always have the
principal on the morning announcements telling students to study hard
so they'll get good grades. I wish one time he would say "study hard so
you'll learn something new."

The ultimate evidence of real learning is when students think about our
courses outside of school. Motivational theorists call this "continuing
motivation." This is what I really want to see happen.

Steve Clark, Ph.D.
Physics Instructor
Starr's Mill High School
Fayetteville, GA  0215

Tim O'Donnell
> Instructor of Physics and Chemistry
> Celina High School
> 715 East Wayne Street
> Celina, Ohio 45822
> (419) 586-8300 Ext 1200 or 1201
> odonnt@celina.k12.oh.us
>
> "Chance only favors the prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur