tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post6741005858276730850..comments2024-03-15T01:11:32.832-07:00Comments on Bardiac: A Short RantBardiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11846065504793800266noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-80515583241070410692016-02-09T14:07:42.732-08:002016-02-09T14:07:42.732-08:00I've heard the term before, when doing freelan...I've heard the term before, when doing freelance test-writing for Big Test Companies of Which You Have Heard but Which I'm Not Allowed to Name. I think it's fairly standard. <br /><br />But it does raise some ethical issues, all the more so because there's some research suggesting that saying "x if false" may serve to cement x as a fact even more firmly in people's brains. <br /><br />Also -- why, oh, why does anyone hire people who have not taught, or have taught very little (and usually mostly/only in some sort of grad-level education program) to tell people how to teach? I'm lucky that my institution mostly does not do this, but, since we now have graduate degrees in "higher education," I fear we may be heading in that direction. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-4504814296987682132016-02-09T08:57:54.028-08:002016-02-09T08:57:54.028-08:00The multiple choice test I hated the most was Cons...The multiple choice test I hated the most was Constitutional Law Final in Law School. Each of the 160 questions had choices A through H- and answers like A and C and E or A, B, G, and H etc. None were ever just "A" or "B" and the small differences made it difficult beyond all justification. Essay tests aren't perfect, because of the subjectivity and inherent bias within any grader, but it least you feel you have the opportunity to express and develop what you know.Stop all the Complaininghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03037006381302024556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-23954178975855993602016-02-08T18:57:30.612-08:002016-02-08T18:57:30.612-08:00I like recognize-the-right-answer quizzes for some...I like recognize-the-right-answer quizzes for some things (especially if the students are at a stage, as mine often are, where they're more likely to be able to recognize the right answer than to spontaneously produce it. A well-written one can serve as a quick check-in--yes, I noticed that; no, I missed that. And they can also serve as prompts to thought--All of the following could be aspects of X *except*...As with any well-written assessment, you can learn something from them. But teaching something definitely needs to be the goal. I never try to trick them, and I'm always receptive to feedback about the assessments. <br /><br />--meansomething (I JUST commented successfully using my Wordpress ID on another blogspot blog, but no luck here today!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-71652647193180660092016-02-08T17:51:10.792-08:002016-02-08T17:51:10.792-08:00200 tests in a weekend is insane. 200 tests in a weekend is insane. Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08068913097801163991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-10926263559013116632016-02-08T17:35:11.594-08:002016-02-08T17:35:11.594-08:00I can't do anything but multiple guess exams i...I can't do anything but multiple guess exams in Humanities. I'm against these tests, but when I have no grading help for 200 tests, and I'm supposed to get them graded in a single weekend, I don't feel like I've got much choice. (I don't test students in my other literature classes. They write a lot instead, including in-class writing "pop quizzes.") Anyway, my Hum colleagues think my tests are too easy, but I don't think it's fair to use tons of distractors. The test averages are usually about 79-81%. I can live with that. Fie upon this quiet life!https://www.blogger.com/profile/12047096700049201873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-10948673535053963002016-02-08T15:39:56.409-08:002016-02-08T15:39:56.409-08:00I'm in history.I'm in history.Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08068913097801163991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-16216869367234899712016-02-08T15:39:28.918-08:002016-02-08T15:39:28.918-08:00This is why I stopped giving the multiple choice e...This is why I stopped giving the multiple choice exams. In an essay exam, the student and I feel more like we're on the same side -- looking for things they got right.Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08068913097801163991noreply@blogger.com