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Re: Projectile Motion



If you are not going to be allowed to run a meaningful class but want the
students to do well (to protect your job?) then give them a homework
assignment a few days ahead of the test and then give exactly the same
problems on the test. While pointless pedagogically, they _may_ do better,
they will be 'happier', and your administration will stay off your back.
Then work at teaching them something _between_ the tests. This may be a
cynical attitude, but if your administration is micro-managing your course
then you have few choices.

You don't have to totally give up. If their homework and the classroom
example problems are slightly more challenging--beyond the level 1 problems
in the text--then by the administration rules you could ask the _same_ type
of questions on the tests. Seriously consider using conceptual quizzes in
between tests--maybe reducing the number of tests in the process. [I have
gone to two tests and 5 quizzes per semester for the Calculus level physics.
My Gen-Ed class has only quizzes --12 per semester.]

Rick


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tina Fanetti" <FanettT@WITCC.COM>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 7:34 AM
Subject: Re: Projectile Motion


but you need to be explicit that this will NOT really help--then the
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 as
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 done in
class.

Also, the last time I let the students make up a "cheat sheet", the sheets
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