Re: Use of calculators on exams/in class

LAURA BERRY (LHATCH@NACTC1.NACTC.CC.AR.US)
Thu, 18 Apr 1996 07:43:37 CST

Murphy Waggoner poses a question I've been dealing with for a couple
of years. In most classes (college algebra and up) I check out
graphing calculators to those students who don't come with their own.
We use them freely throughout the semester, but students are aware
that they need to be able to perform some skills without using the
calculators (graphing simple linear equations, for example).

One rather simplistic solution has been to design tests with two
parts. If I want to check that students can graph linear functions
by hand then part B of the test has a few graphing problems that
must be completed without using the calculator. Students generally
finish part A, turn it in, then pick up part B, set their calulator
off to the side and complete this part. It seems to work well when
some lower level skills are to be tested.

Laura Berry

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Laura Berry North Arkansas Community/Technical College
Math Instructor Harrison, Arkansas
501-743-3000 x.280
LHATCH@NACTC1.NACTC.CC.AR.US
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