Janet D. Stemwedel (whose nom de blog is Dr. Free-Ride) is an associate professor of philosophy at San Jose State University. Before becoming a philosopher, she earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. Email her at dr.freeride@gmail.com.
An open letter to the handful of students during today's exam asking whether I could "explain" the fourth short-answer test item to them:
Dear students,
The question you are pointing to is unambiguously phrased.
The wording of the item is quite clear in asking you to explain what that particular author is arguing about that particular scientific explanation. Indeed, the question you are asking me in anxious whispers indicates that you understand what this test item is asking for, and that what you are asking from me is a hint about the right answer.
That's not how it works on the final exam.
This very question was discussed in detail in not one but two assigned readings. It was also discussed in loving detail in our lecture. I suspect, from your crestfallen look, that you are now rethinking the cost-benefit analysis that led you to skip that lecture and those reading assignments.
There is no hint I can give you that will send you back in time so you can actually do that reading or attend that lecture.
Sorry, those 5 points may be goners.
Love,
Your devoted professor
Education
Comments
[voice="Swiper Fox"] Aw, mannn! [/voice]
Posted by: PalMD | December 16, 2009 8:43 PM
You know, I never realized how nice I was to my students before now - I would routinely rephrase questions for them, mainly because I came to realize that lots of them had a poor grasp of English. It's a lot of mental work to rephrase a question in a way that doesn't advantage a student, but I would always at least try.
Now, however, I realize that I was too nice. In law school, professors refuse to answer any questions at all. Instead, they say, "if there is any ambiguity in the question and you don't understand it, explain what the ambiguity is, explain what information you'd need to resolve it, and then answer the question contingently under the terms of each of the various scenarios you imagine." How awesome is that.
I should have been doing this all along!
Posted by: bioephemera | December 16, 2009 8:59 PM
The problem is,detailed questions invite detailed complaints. The more material you give, the more angles there are to try to seek advantages and generally game the test. I think you should try a different kind of test next year. How about this:
"Question 1 out of 1: 'Tell me about what you've learned in this course' (100 points)"
Posted by: Janne | December 16, 2009 9:19 PM
Pal commented as Swiper!! I love him!!!
Posted by: Isis the Scientist | December 16, 2009 9:26 PM
What bioephemera recommends is what I did all through my undergrad degree. (Except I'd usually work through one option, instead of all, because of time constraints.) I've always been surprised that more students don't do it -- the only risk is the teacher deciding the question wasn't ambiguous, and that I should have known that. (I think I've had that happen exactly once.)
Posted by: Sanguinity | December 16, 2009 10:47 PM
Perhaps this is peculiar to math (though I suspect not), but I get an interesting response from students when I answer their question by merely reciting the exam problem as written:
Student: "Oh, Dr. Z, what am I supposed to do in Problem 5?"
Me [Reading directly from the exam]: "Use a parameterization of the curve C to evaluate the given line integral."
Student: "Oh! Okay! Thanks!"
Can they not read? I wonder.
Posted by: Zeno | December 16, 2009 11:04 PM
Zeno,
I wonder if there's a writer's block phenomenon going on, such that just engaging with someone else helps get past the block. I know that if I'm anxious, I can get into a "stare" state where registering the content of a written sentence becomes inordinately difficult. So I could imagine that having someone else read it aloud would fix that.
Indeed, I know it has (though in a theatrical context; but I also sometimes have trouble with words I know I understand and even know how to pronounce).
Alternatively, it could have been a ploy and they recognize when the ploy failed!
Posted by: Bijan Parsia | December 17, 2009 4:55 AM
Just give a multi page exam and ask that they not answer certain questions in the instructions at the top. Then you'll see how many actually bother to read.
Posted by: Wrmurray | December 17, 2009 7:27 AM
@Zeno (#6): I've done the same thing to people asking for help in an MMO I play. They ask where to go for a certain quest and I would regularly read out the relevant part from the quest text that both they and I had access to. They would then thank me for being incredibly helpful.
WTF? Surely it takes longer to ask than to read (for almost everybody reading in their native language or a language they are fluent in).
Exceptions for exams when it's not a case of failing to read but writer's block/brain fade.
Posted by: Katherine | December 17, 2009 6:57 PM