A standard consistent exam format is essential for good assessment. The look of the exam is familiar for the students. The format aids in the grading process. I’m sure there are many good formats for hand-graded exams. I’ll describe what we use in large classes taught by several professors.
1. Page 1 heading must include everything you really need to know to identify the student. In our case, Name (for the final exam, printed AND signed), PID (university identification or just the last four digits). We also include a section where the student circles information so we can sort the papers efficiently. Circle your section: Professor and time, Circle the alphabet segment of your last name: A-C, D-G, etc. Since we need to separate and alphabetize up to 400 papers at times, we need a good organizational tool. This serves the purpose and takes no time on the part of the student. It is essential in our format.
2. Page 2 heading contains a box for the student’s exam score. Recently our university established a rule that a student’s grade on any work must be separated from his/her name. We had to adjust to the style, but it is a good rule and students are able to pick up their graded exams without any indication of the score and look at their score in privacy if they desire.
3. The questions on each page are graded with positive points in the margin and a sum at the bottom of each page. With the TAs grading individual pages (see more below) we then sum the points and write the total score in the box on page 2.
4. Normally we have four major parts to the exam with the point values clearly stated in parentheses in the left margins. We do give partial credit and we firm up the partial credit after we’ve done some preliminary grading (see a later post). For example, a concept that we thought ought to be worth 4 points wasn’t clear to most students, so we might change it to 2 points. I’ll address this more in the preliminary grading procedure of another post.
5. The answers must be easy to find. We use answer boxes , “Circle your response and explain” or fill in the table with a sample answer at the top. Good design leads to a better assessment.
6. Each page must be numbered and “The End” appears at the bottom of the last page. I know a professor who also includes “more →” at the bottom of each page except the last page. Under exam conditions, students often lose track of time, so they know they work until they reach “The End.”! When we administer exams, we ALWAYS have the students count their pages because sometimes errors in duplication occur and we need to be 100% sure that everyone has the full exam. We’ve had students contend that they had a defective exam (the hardest page was missing!) and want a grade adjustment. Note that you can actually examine the staple and see if a page was ripped out. Old tricks, why do students do these things?
With a consistent format, students can identify the easy and hard parts of the exam and pace themselves appropriately. Next post will focus on group grading with TAs.
As usual, I’m interested in ideas you have regarding exam format. Feel free to respond.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Exams Part I, Construction
TTY: Tom Bowers
Exams count. Both student and professor must consider them seriously, prepare thoroughly and deliver! The assessment must be fair, appropriate, designed for various types of learning styles, and lend itself to efficient and consistent grading. This isn’t easy for anyone.
Another Blogger has a well-organized set of comments on writing exams (see his list at on the right side of his template.) I’ll use his major headings and make comments in the same four areas in the next few blogs. (Construction, Student Preparation, Format, Returning Exams)
Most of my experience is with coordinated sections involving 2-4 professors evaluating 100-400 students on the freshman level. We do not give scantron exams for reasons I’ll discuss in another blog. Occasionally I teach a class by myself, but I use the techniques we’ve developed in the past 15 years for the combined section courses.
We have a standard set of principles to be assessed since our courses are prerequisites for future classes. We keep a uniform format with 4-5 parts in an exam with different types of questions such as : Discussion/Interpretation, Skill Assessment (like writing formulas/equations, classifying something), Problem Solving (show your work), and Multiple Choice (things that don’t fit into the other categories). With a consistent format, the students soon learn how to allow their time appropriately during the exam.
When several professors are involved in writing an exam, the quality of the exam increases. Colleagues can discern how the wording might be misinterpreted or lead to an unintended response. I cannot overemphasize the importance of having someone else read an exam draft. It always improves the quality.
There are some excellent references regarding exam writing, tips for good exams, and other worthwhile literature on-line that I highly recommend.
1. Lucy Jacobs, Indiana Unversity
2. Frank Logan, University of New Mexico
In my opinion, most but not all of the exam should be what a student can anticipate, such as questions similar in style and content to those done in class. However, at least one question (5-8%) should give students the chance to link concepts together, perhaps in a new way, and demonstrate a deeper understanding of the material. By providing a new experience based directly on the material, the student learns to accept a challenge and respond.
I realize that students prefer knowing in advance exactly what will be on the exam, but I disagree. A professor should be able to write a comprehensive question requiring an intellectual stretch directly related to the material. In the sciences, we often ask the student to interpret an unexpected lab result, make a prediction based on data, or interpret an unusual graph or figure. In time, students do learn to accept the challenge. They know it is coming, so during the exam they are not surprised (well, not totally!) The rewards in terms of a sense of accomplishment and growth in academic maturity are tremendous for student and professor alike. Those students who merely “memorize everything” are easily identified.
Let me reiterate, the stretching question is a small percentage of the total exam (5-8%). Most of the exam should be directly related to the classroom material in style and content but not ver batim.
Some readers may disagree (perhaps strongly) with me. I welcome your comment either way!
Exams count. Both student and professor must consider them seriously, prepare thoroughly and deliver! The assessment must be fair, appropriate, designed for various types of learning styles, and lend itself to efficient and consistent grading. This isn’t easy for anyone.
Another Blogger has a well-organized set of comments on writing exams (see his list at on the right side of his template.) I’ll use his major headings and make comments in the same four areas in the next few blogs. (Construction, Student Preparation, Format, Returning Exams)
Most of my experience is with coordinated sections involving 2-4 professors evaluating 100-400 students on the freshman level. We do not give scantron exams for reasons I’ll discuss in another blog. Occasionally I teach a class by myself, but I use the techniques we’ve developed in the past 15 years for the combined section courses.
We have a standard set of principles to be assessed since our courses are prerequisites for future classes. We keep a uniform format with 4-5 parts in an exam with different types of questions such as : Discussion/Interpretation, Skill Assessment (like writing formulas/equations, classifying something), Problem Solving (show your work), and Multiple Choice (things that don’t fit into the other categories). With a consistent format, the students soon learn how to allow their time appropriately during the exam.
When several professors are involved in writing an exam, the quality of the exam increases. Colleagues can discern how the wording might be misinterpreted or lead to an unintended response. I cannot overemphasize the importance of having someone else read an exam draft. It always improves the quality.
There are some excellent references regarding exam writing, tips for good exams, and other worthwhile literature on-line that I highly recommend.
1. Lucy Jacobs, Indiana Unversity
2. Frank Logan, University of New Mexico
In my opinion, most but not all of the exam should be what a student can anticipate, such as questions similar in style and content to those done in class. However, at least one question (5-8%) should give students the chance to link concepts together, perhaps in a new way, and demonstrate a deeper understanding of the material. By providing a new experience based directly on the material, the student learns to accept a challenge and respond.
I realize that students prefer knowing in advance exactly what will be on the exam, but I disagree. A professor should be able to write a comprehensive question requiring an intellectual stretch directly related to the material. In the sciences, we often ask the student to interpret an unexpected lab result, make a prediction based on data, or interpret an unusual graph or figure. In time, students do learn to accept the challenge. They know it is coming, so during the exam they are not surprised (well, not totally!) The rewards in terms of a sense of accomplishment and growth in academic maturity are tremendous for student and professor alike. Those students who merely “memorize everything” are easily identified.
Let me reiterate, the stretching question is a small percentage of the total exam (5-8%). Most of the exam should be directly related to the classroom material in style and content but not ver batim.
Some readers may disagree (perhaps strongly) with me. I welcome your comment either way!
Monday, August 6, 2007
But you said....
Students will always have complaints! (Balso, Finding an unknown).
An appropriate cartoon is a good ice-breaker for a session, or useful to refocus student's attention.
For other academic cartoons (mostly math) here is one site. Do be sure to credit the author though.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Themed Sessions
TTY: Travis Kidner, Ed Stevens, Steven Petrovic and other TAs and mentors who have provided some effective spices that I enjoy!
Dr. Derek Davenport, Professor Emeritus, Purdue University
As we all know variety is the spice of life…. and any type of variation in your class sessions can keep students engaged, spark an interest in those drifting off, or just provide some fun.
Here are some themes I enjoy. Others just seem to pop up with my mood of the day!
a) Title the session: take a key word for the day and relate it to another field. In chemistry, here are a couple: “The Halogens: A Family like No Other” Images of families of animals, historic people etc abound and are very useful in this theme. “Empirical and Molecular Formulas, the Metric System, and Chocolate”
b) Intertwine catchy phrases or quotations:
“Lions, and Tigers and Bears, oh my!” or “Acids and Bases and Salts, oh, my!”
“Helium: Son of the Sun and Daughter of the Earth” from Derick Davenport
“Chance Favors the Prepared Mind” Louis Pasteur
It isn’t hard to do, but takes a little reflection. The interesting thing is that if you use a phrase several times during a class, students remember more.
c) Include edibles in examples: always a winner. M&M candies for statistical analysis of isotopes or a number of interesting things. A few years ago, there were books written about M&Ms in education. Eggs are terrific for chemistry, the shell, the white, the yolk.
Classic TV commercials are an interesting resource available on-line.
Try it, you’ll like it! (Mikey, old TV commercial for Life cereal)
Dr. Derek Davenport, Professor Emeritus, Purdue University
As we all know variety is the spice of life…. and any type of variation in your class sessions can keep students engaged, spark an interest in those drifting off, or just provide some fun.
Here are some themes I enjoy. Others just seem to pop up with my mood of the day!
a) Title the session: take a key word for the day and relate it to another field. In chemistry, here are a couple: “The Halogens: A Family like No Other” Images of families of animals, historic people etc abound and are very useful in this theme. “Empirical and Molecular Formulas, the Metric System, and Chocolate”
b) Intertwine catchy phrases or quotations:
“Lions, and Tigers and Bears, oh my!” or “Acids and Bases and Salts, oh, my!”
“Helium: Son of the Sun and Daughter of the Earth” from Derick Davenport
“Chance Favors the Prepared Mind” Louis Pasteur
It isn’t hard to do, but takes a little reflection. The interesting thing is that if you use a phrase several times during a class, students remember more.
c) Include edibles in examples: always a winner. M&M candies for statistical analysis of isotopes or a number of interesting things. A few years ago, there were books written about M&Ms in education. Eggs are terrific for chemistry, the shell, the white, the yolk.
Classic TV commercials are an interesting resource available on-line.
Try it, you’ll like it! (Mikey, old TV commercial for Life cereal)
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