Re: [MATHEDCC] Partial Credit?

Martha Haehl (haehl@kcmerto.cc.mo.us)
Wed, 6 Aug 1997 17:38:47 -0400

I have done a variation on the theme. I allow students to do a
"retest"--choosing two or three problems related to the test they took the
first time. To buy the right to do the retest they have to rework the
entire exam, and explain in words what was being asked and the concept of
skills they missed. I do some sort of weighted average with the retest and
original test. It is always amazing to me how few students will take the
time to rework the exam and write out the explanations--however, when they
do, their grade generally improves. Previously, retests without requiring
the written work as a prerequisite rarely changed a student's grade
significantly.

Martha

----------
> From: Rob Kimball <rlkimbal@WTCC-GW.WAKE.TEC.NC.US>
> To: AMATYC list serve <mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu>
> Subject: Re: [MATHEDCC] Partial Credit?
> Date: Wednesday, August 06, 1997 8:46 AM
>
> A substrand of the partial credit issue caught my attention. I have
> never liked "giving" credit to students who take their test home and
> bring it back corrected. I see from my children's friends evidence
> that we have long been promoting "team work" by using this technique
> and is especially prevalent in high school.
> But, when you consider what most students do with old tests and the
> work we put into grading using partial credit, it may be worth a try
> (ala Murphy's statement below). Indeed, our tests should be learning
> experiences as well as assessment tools.
> I wonder who else has had positive experiences with "redoing" tests
> without getting someone else's work.
> -----------------------------------------
> On Tue, 5 Aug 1997, Murphy Waggoner wrote:
>
> > >Gregg Longanecker wrote:
> > >I believe partial credit can be used to help the student learn. I
tell
> > >all my classes I will award partial credit for their work. All work
must
> > >be included with the test. However when I grade the paper I mark
every
> > >problem which has an incorrect answer wrong. I will place a ? on any
> > >answer that may be partially correct. The student must then argue
their
> > >case why their work is correct.
> >
> > I like this idea and will give it a try in the fall in one of my
classes.
> > One of the problems I have with making changes like this is that I was
> > taught to "correct" papers instead to "check" papers. When I am
reading a
> > paper (homework, exam, whatever) and I see something wrong, my first
> > instinct it to write the correct answer to the side. I used to think
that
> > by giving the student that type of feedback they would learn. Although
a
> > few students analyze their papers upon return, most students never pick
up
> > a "corrected" paper again. Analysis of work (student analysis of
student
> > work) needs to be an important part of our courses. Gregg's suggestion
and
> > the test corrections mentioned by Kathy Acks are a couple of ways to do
> > that.
> >
> > Murphy
> >
> >
> > ---------------------
> > M. E. "Murphy" Waggoner
> > Assistant Professor of Mathematics
> > Simpson College
> > 701 North C Street
> > Indianola, IA 50125
> > waggoner@storm.simpson.edu
> > www.simpson.edu/~math
> > ---------------------
> >
> >
> >
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> >
>
> Robert L Kimball 919-662-3602 (Office)
> Chair, Mathematics and Physics Dept 919-266-0850 (Home)
> Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC 27603-5696
>
>
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