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astro300_f16:day4 [2016/09/07 04:19]
ccheng [Homework]
astro300_f16:day4 [2016/09/07 06:37]
jwang
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 Remind them that this is something we intend to do every week and that everyone should come prepared to share about how their previous sections went.  Remind them that this is something we intend to do every week and that everyone should come prepared to share about how their previous sections went. 
  
-(2 minutes) Individually, ​think about how section ​went this past week. Questions to keep in mind:+Remind them what to think about for section ​recap:
    * What did you do?     * What did you do? 
    * How did you implement your activities? ​    * How did you implement your activities? ​
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    * What were you thinking about while you were running section? Any moments of panic?    * What were you thinking about while you were running section? Any moments of panic?
  
-(18 minutes) Open the floor up for general questions and sharing about how sections are going.+(20 minutes) Open the floor up for general questions and sharing about how sections are going.
  
-===== Multiple Choice and Free Response Questions (40 min) ======+===== Multiple Choice and Free Response Questions (37 min) ======
  
    - (5 min) Come up with either a multiple choice or free response question for the class you're teaching for and write it down on a piece of paper. Also think about what learning objectives it tests and what level of learning it probes.    - (5 min) Come up with either a multiple choice or free response question for the class you're teaching for and write it down on a piece of paper. Also think about what learning objectives it tests and what level of learning it probes.
-   - (10 min) Trade your questions with a partner. Have them attempt to answer the questions or at least determine what learning objectives were being probed, what level of learning it targeted, and what would have constituted as an "​acceptable answer."​ Once you have gone over each other'​s questions, discuss in your small groups what you liked about the question and offer improvements to flesh it out further. Some questions to consider (perhaps project on the board):+   - (min) Trade your questions with a partner. Have them attempt to answer the questions or at least determine what learning objectives were being probed, what level of learning it targeted, and what would have constituted as an "​acceptable answer."​ Once you have gone over each other'​s questions, discuss in your small groups what you liked about the question and offer improvements to flesh it out further. Some questions to consider (perhaps project on the board):
        - For both:         - For both: 
            * Is the wording clear?            * Is the wording clear?
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            * What if students cannot solve part A? What does that imply for part B?            * What if students cannot solve part A? What does that imply for part B?
            * What sort of responses might students give under the pressures of an exam setting?            * What sort of responses might students give under the pressures of an exam setting?
-   - (min) Come back as a class and discuss.+   - (min) Come back as a class and discuss.
          * Did you learn anything surprising? ​          * Did you learn anything surprising? ​
          * Is this easy? (Unfortunately,​ NO!)          * Is this easy? (Unfortunately,​ NO!)
          * What part of question writing did you find the most difficult? ​          * What part of question writing did you find the most difficult? ​
    - (20 min) Go through question example slides as a class exercise.  ​    - (20 min) Go through question example slides as a class exercise.  ​
 +         * MC Summary
 +           * Test what you teach and teach what you test!
 +           * Write short, clear questions and solutions.
 +           * All answers should be of a similar tone and length.
 +           * Avoid throw-aways,​ double negatives, etc. 
 +           * Be sure to not suggestively word your responses.
 +           * Exams should have a variety of difficult and easy questions. Some easier questions at the start of the exam can enhance motivation.
 +         * FR Summary
 +           * Test what you teach and teach what you test!
 +           * Write clear prompts. Be explicit about what you want students to provide (no core dumps).
 +           * Multiple parts should test multiple ideas, not the same idea again and again. ​
 +           * Solutions should require novel ideas, not a summary of material in the prompt. ​
 +         * Reminder about timing: always take your own quiz/​test/​exams. Your students will take 2-3x longer than you will.
 +
  
 **Some notes on multiple choice questions:​** **Some notes on multiple choice questions:​**
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     * Be suspicious: If you see similar, very wrong answers, flag the tests and compare their answers to other questions. Hopefully you can look out for cheating while the quiz/exam is actually going on, but you won't be able to see everything.     * Be suspicious: If you see similar, very wrong answers, flag the tests and compare their answers to other questions. Hopefully you can look out for cheating while the quiz/exam is actually going on, but you won't be able to see everything.
     * Talk (probably through e-mail) to students in your section(s) who performed very poorly (grades of less than 40% or 50%).  They may be too shy to ask for help even if they know they need it!     * Talk (probably through e-mail) to students in your section(s) who performed very poorly (grades of less than 40% or 50%).  They may be too shy to ask for help even if they know they need it!
- 
-===Scantron Exams=== 
-    * You'll grade these kinds of tests with your fellow GSIs. 
-    * Have a few people people double-check the answer key Scantron //for each version of the exam// **BEFORE** you start running all the tests through the machine. 
-    * Note any questions that are missed quite frequently. Reasons for this can include: 
-       *The question was poorly written or possibly too hard 
-       *The students just didn't know that material very well 
-       ​*There'​s an error on the answer key 
-       ​*Something went wrong with the machine or the answer key Scantron 
-    * Note any one student who missed a TON.. Reasons: 
-       *They really just don't know what's going on 
-       *They marked the wrong test version (you might be able to re-run it through the machine with the correct answer key or their GSI or the Head GSI might have to grade it by hand) 
-       *They used some writing utensil that the machine doesn'​t like (their GSI or the Head GSI might have to grade it by hand) 
-       ​*Their test is too wrinkled or has coffee spilled on it or whatever (their GSI or the Head GSI might have to grade it by hand) 
-       *Use your judgment here; it's annoying to grade a Scantron by hand, but if they really just accidentally spilled something on it, then you should probably grade it by hand with no penalty. ​ If they'​re dumb enough to mark the wrong test version, well, they might deserve some extra points off for that. 
-    * It's a good idea to skim over each of your student'​s tests to see if there were any obvious bad erasure marks or anything like that which may have led to an answer being marked wrong unfairly. ​ However, don't feel bad if you don't catch every one of these -- your students will not miss any!! 
-    * Like after quizzes, strongly consider talking to students in your section(s) who performed very poorly (grades of less than 40% or 50%).