Studying after the fact
Students have a tendency to study for the test instead of studying to learn the information. They will cram for a quiz/test and then immediately lose all of the information at the moment they turn it in. This turns an assessment of progress into an assessment of short-term memory. One solution I've found is to schedule time in class for the students to "convince" me that their answer makes sense. They put more effort into studying their books this way. They want to know where the answers are. This actually works as a time saver for me, since it reduces the amount of in-class review time I need per quarter for my cumulative finals.
Indeed and I do the same Jane. Partial credit is much more fair than all or non, especially on essay exams and short answers.
I find it useful to give partial credit on missed exam questions if the student show me that they understand the information after they have had time to review.
Very good points. Using exercises, labs, etc. with the important topics of the course are a multi-sensory in nature. This also limits the reliance on memorization vs. learning.
Point well taken, David! I discuss the concepts of "Learning" versus "Memorizing" in all of my classes. I show them how to analyze what they have already learned to answer a particular question - assessing long-term memory.
Thanks.
