[Phys-L] Re: Ambiguous Question

[John Clement <clement@HAL-PC.ORG>]

It really should not matter whether it has been worked out.  It is still
ambiguous.  If the identical question is given then all you are asking the
students to do is memorize a problem and regurgitate.  The high stakes
testing in HS does this by presenting indecipherable questions which have
answers only known to the students who used the right book with identical
illustrations or problems.

The students should get extra credit for realizing the problem has a
solution different from the book.

Now if you wanted to make the problem more interesting you could ask
students to detail two different assumptions they could make which would
result in different solutions.  Then you are finding out if they can do
hypothetico-deductive reasoning or ask what if questions.  This may also be
a good test of their understanding of CM calculations.  Being able to
compare CM with non CM is a valuable skill.

When I see a student has come up with a valid alternative assumption I
sometimes do give extra credit, or at least full credit.

As an example of a typical high stakes test ambiguous question, students
were given a black and white line drawing of a bug on a leaf in TX.  Then
they were asked what strategy for self preservation was illustrated.  The
correct answer was camouflage, but one answer involved the ability to run
and the bug did have long legs.  The camouflage was not evident from the
illustration, but knowing how the testers think I guessed that was the
answer.  I supposed they had a standard book which probably contained this
illustration.  To my eyes the bug was definitely not hidden, and there was
no indication of the color of the bug.

For too long students have been conditioned to put up with the following
question.  "I am thinking of an answer, what answer is it?".  They stop
thinking and just memorize the expected answers.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> "I would in general agree with Ken's response, unless . . .
>
> Unless this was essentially either a worked out problem in class or
> example in the text that used the same style wording."
_______________________________________________
Phys-L mailing list
Phys-L@electron.physics.buffalo.edu
https://www.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l