Wednesday, December 19, 2012

...short answer tests...

Recently I gave a test that included a short answer portion.

Before administering the test, I talked to students about how text language is never appropriate for an answer on an assignment.  One example I often see is idk.  We talked about how I don't know is NEVER an appropriate answer, and certainly not in text language form.  In fact, I told them that if they didn't know an answer, they could at least write something amusing so that it made me smile rather than get frustrated that they didn't prepare.  A few years ago I had a student do something like that...They were supposed to write the Six Steps in Good Note-Taking.  Instead she wrote out directions to making Ramen noodles.  Creative.  She even included pictures.  See, that's the kind of wrong answer that makes me smile when grading.

One of my students this year took this suggestion to heart.  Here are a couple of his answers when he couldn't think of the actual answers:

1.  Close the lid tightly.
2.  Skydiving giraffes

See, you didn't even need to see the question to know that these were ridiculous.  But it sure beats an empty line, or even worse, idk.

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