I Can't Understand

Why do kids only worry about how many questions are on the exam?

Don't they realize that one question can have 20 parts?

Haven't they ever taken an easy test with many questions and a difficult one with only a few?

Why don't they just pay attention and try to learn the material instead of wasting time with meaningless questions?

THREE

Calculus is by definition a hard substance and the study of calculus is also hard. My tests are even harder because they emphasize applications of knowledge, not just rote reiteration of problems that were taught in class. Studying is not enough to pass a test in my class. You really have to be able to use what you have been taught.

I know this is a difficult thing for kids to do. I don't expect them to do well on my exams at this point of the term. (All grades are curved so they don't have to worry about averages being ruined.) I do expect them to know certain things and I have no tolerance when they don't.

1. The use of the word IT is strictly forbidden. They must be specific in all their justifications. Yet, as I mark midterm exams, I find this word on more than one paper.

2. All answers must be expressed to a minimum of three decimal places. This is mentioned every single day. Yet, as I mark midterms, I am constantly taking off points for answered expressed as only a one or two place decimal.

These kids are bright kids. I know they understand THREE. I don't understand why they fight using three places for their answers. Maybe when they get the exams back, with the -1's for decimals and "ITs" they will learn to do what is required of them.

Partial Credit

My AP is against giving too much partial credit on exams. At Friday's welcome meeting he passed out copies of a final exam from summer school and asked us what was wrong with it. Not one person in the department could come up with an answer. The questions were well written in mathematically precise language. They were typed. They covered the entire range of the course and they were not too easy or too hard. He was in shock that we could find nothing to complain about.

After a few minutes he yelled "Don't you see it? The multiple choice section is worth 24 points (4 points each) and the rest of the exam consists of 4 and 6 point questions where partial credit is given. This is ridiculous. An exam should have no more than 30 or 40 points of questions with partial credit. Besides, don't you have better things to do than to mark papers?"

We couldn't believe our ears. Sure these tests are harder to grade. But, we are teaching math. If a kid has a concept, but makes a careless mistake, why should that kid lose full credit? What are we teaching when we grade in such a way that kids will fail too quickly?

I am a firm believer in partial credit. Kids leave out signs. They hit the wrong button and get the wrong answer from their calculators. They make a small mistake in one part of the problem and then carry through to the rest of the problem. Partial credit encourages them to show their work. It encourages creative thinking. It allows you to review your work and learn from your mistake.

Last year I was given the task of getting 28 seniors through the Math A regents. These kids had not passed a math class since freshman year. I got 27 out of 28 through and most passed just by doing the multiple choice. I've perfected the art of teaching to the test and in this case, teaching to the multiple choice on the test. My kids could even get the correct answer to a factoring problem as long as their were choices available. Did they pass and graduate? Yes! Did they learn any math? Absolutely not (except for two or three of them). Could they have done this without the choices, on the problems where partial credit is given? No way.

I know how the teachers in my department feel about this. I am wondering how other math teachers in other places deal with the partial credit dilemma?