October 4 - Discussion Topics

Ch 9

• Ch 9: Is it a good idea (as McKeachie suggests) to give students some credit for answering an essay question of their own choosing when they don't know the one given on an exam? If so, should you tell students they have this option before the exam?

• Chapter 9: What are the feelings toward allowing students to write analyses of test questions they missed in order to regain points? What about asking them to write a response to the test about what they learned?

  • At the end of chapter 9 McKeachie states that after you return a test, you can ask students to write a short account of what they learned from the test. Isn't the test supposed to gauge the learning of the material and not what they learned from taking the test? I think this is completely bizarre. Have any of you heard of such a thing?

  • Do students typically try to learn from their mistakes on a test if they are not cumulative, and is allowing a student to make up some missed points a good opportunity to encourage them to learn from their mistakes?

• Is it worth an entire class period (or 2) to devote to going over every question after a test, talking about the answers so that everyone has an understanding of it?

• Are there any guidelines that specifically state what types of comments a professor can or cannot put on essays when grading them. For example, can a professor be insulting to the writer like writing "blah, blah,blah."

• How important is it to set aside class time to explain "test taking" to students? Should such an explanation be elaborate, as our author suggestions, or is it safe to assume that most students come into the classroom with previous test taking knowledge?

• Would it help to reduce student test anxiety to combine a study guide with some sample exam questions, handed out at the end of each section?

Ch 10

• Ch 10: What is the benefit of using McKeachie's suggestion to have the class vote to conduct an exam on the honor system? How is this different?

  • Under "Preventing Cheating" in chapter 10, McKeachie states that he frequently gives his classes a chance to vote on whether or not they will conduct the test using the honor system. What does that mean? So if students vote for the honor system does that mean that no one proctors the exam??

  • Chapter 10: Have you ever encountered the kind of pre-exam "pledge" that McKeachie says he uses in his classes? Would it really have any value?

• Do universities have a suggested course of action in regards to cheating? Can a professor exceed the suggested punishment if she feels the action warrants it? How much autonomy do professors have regarding their policy on academic dishonesty?

  • 10 - Is it ever appropriate to take matters into your own hands (as a professor) when you see that a student is blatently cheating, giving them a 0 on the test or even a failing grade for the class? Or is letting the respective commitees (SJA) deal with the student the better thing to do?

• What are Sac States policies on handling cheating, are teachers required to confront students in class or in private, and how often does catching cheaters happen?

• How much influence do you believe a teacher's attitude really has on cheating, and how can professors express their opposition to cheating without putting extra pressures on their class as a whole?

• As to cheating, it seems like the author encourages harsher penalties for plagiarism, and is less likely to punish unproven cheating. How easy is it to catch cheating and know it is intentional?