Thank you for the feedback from the second exam.

• My score didn't appear on the WEB...
  • For some reason, a large number of you either did not enter your correct student ID # and/or exam letter (ABCD). One of you left both the name and student ID # blank (I still don't know who)!! I have had to go back through the exams manually to fish out these exams.
• You were suprized that most people did poorly on the last 5 questions -- they probably didn't have time to get there.
  • That is why I instruct people to go through and answer all of the simple questions first, and THEN go back for the time consuming ones.
• You say you want us to think. Make class harder. Make us think in class so we won't be surprised on exams. We will be expecting the hard stuff since we would be seeing it everyday in class.
  • Tell me how to "make class harder." Class time is devoted to trying to get everyone to understand the concepts. The problems that I work through in lecture are no easier than those on the exams. But watching me work through a problem is very different than doing it yourself. I emphasize in class that learning to work problems (which is what takes time on the exams) is something that you must learn by DOING - with lots of practice outside of class. The responsibility for that lies with each of you.
• I vote for evening exams that last for an hour to an hour and a half.
  • The current exams are 50 min, so presumably you mean 1 1/2 hours long - otherwise there is no point in going to evening exams.
• I think that both exams were fair with 20 questons being the optimum number of questions for the amount of time we have. I also think that the idea of having in class exams are to the student's own benefit as it does not conflict with existing schedules or plans. I strongly disagree with exams based on specific and sometimes trivial facts which is only a test of one's memorization. I do not understand how an exam of this type would reflect the student's learning and understanding of the material. As for the kinds of questions that we are asked, I don't think they are tricky or difficult. If one learns and is able to apply the concepts, then he will recognize the problem and be able to solve them without much difficulty... Maybe going over more problems during class would be a possible solution so that students will be more aware of what would appear on an exam and give them a focus on areas to study and concepts to master.
• I agree that the goal of your tests should be to make us learn the material as well as to develope our problem solving skills. I for one would rather have our exams during class periods, as my nights are usually very busy. I don't like the idea of a ten question test, and I don't know if the memorization test is the way to go?
• At this point in time maybe it's time to assign homework problems. I understand your feeling on this is that we should be doing the problems ourselves and that we're in college so we shouldn't have to have problems assigned. With the current situation, however, maybe it would be best to say "OK, with the material we just covered today, check out problems X, X, X, and X on pg. XXX. You should be able to do these now."