tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5088860151651047897.post5361265903025597865..comments2024-03-25T10:56:59.380-04:00Comments on Jacobs Physics: Exam review: 9th grade conceptual physics optics, waves, and circuits examGreg Jacobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854009948036330746noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5088860151651047897.post-23236095884252441612013-11-19T23:58:23.771-05:002013-11-19T23:58:23.771-05:00Interesting point about oral exams. Nice.
About ...Interesting point about oral exams. Nice.<br /><br />About textbooks, though... I *know* that my students (at any level) don't read the text except when assigned, or except to try to find a sample problem nearly identical to one that was assigned. And when they do read the text, they often become more confused than previously because there's just so much information in the text they don't recognize what's relevant.<br /><br />I don't want students reading the text. (In fact, I've dumped a text altogether for AP, and I am going to dump the 9th grade text as soon as I am able.) Now, once students have been through the entire trimester, I think they would enjoy reading the text. But as long as they are still internalizing the important facts, and as long as they are reading for the purposes of targeted exam studying rather than for pure curiosity, text reading is counterproductive. <br /><br />As to whether the skill should be taught... I think in some sense I *am* teaching students how to read a text, by pulling out the important facts. At the 9th and 11th grade levels, I think that's the correct way to start. (Know that I disagree to a large extent with teaching Shakespeare at this level.) And in the harsh but valid column: I'm not willing to teach students to read a textbook until textbook authors and publishers are taught how to write a textbook that can be reasonably read.Greg Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03854009948036330746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5088860151651047897.post-12971287701563356862013-11-19T23:26:52.000-05:002013-11-19T23:26:52.000-05:00I feel similarly about the oral exams I do for my ...I feel similarly about the oral exams I do for my college courses. I want the students to not be too stressed about them because they know I'll keep re-asking the question until they understand it. Of course, standards-based grading has helped immensely with this because the students know that, if they screw up, they can always figure out a way to reassess (sbg also hits the point about cumulative exams). What I love is that, given a choice, most of my students choose oral exams over written exams.<br /><br />Regarding your fact sheet vs textbook discussion: If the students know that'll be coming by the end of the term, do they ever read the text? Is that a skill that should be taught? I'm not really a textbook guy, but if my students have one, I tend to assume they're reading it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com