Download Preparation for your Personal Best – Essay type examinations

Essay-Type Exams
Dr. Mark Matthews
Student Learning
Essay-Type Exams
•
•
•
Discuss concepts & issues in depth
Develop an argument
Your choices are:
1. What to say?
2. How to say it?
Today
1.
2.
3.
4.
Where marks are lost?
How to do well
Practice
Writing Style
Sources:
Exam Guide, SU & Student Learning
How to Do Badly in Examinations, Dr. Frank Bannister
How to Succeed in Exams.. , McMillan & Weyers
Grading
Grading
I
Thorough, deep understanding
Critical thinking, insight, creativity
Well written
Nearly all points
II.I
Good grasp of subject
Critical & Analytical thinking
Logical Clear Presentation
Nearly all key points
Grading
II.II
Solid Answer
Knowledge beyond lectures
Good on facts
Writing good, some structure
III
Knowledge Facts, but little insight
Narrow/ No critical thought
Poorly written / incoherent
F
Little Factual Content & Errors
Where marks
are lost
Time Wasting
• Writing out the question
• Pointless Definitions / Quotes
Unbalance Answers
Maximum gains for time are in
the early stages of your answer
Maximum gain
120
Rehearse producing quality
work in time available
100
% personal best
Plan your time in advance
80
60
40
20
0
Equal Time for Equal Marks
5
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Time in minutes
Unnecessary content
•
•
•
Taking a long time to get to the point
Irrelevance
Repetition
1. Present what you know
2. Add Value
3. Get to the point
Over-complication
What is meant by each of the following data
mining terms? In each case, include a
simple example to illustrate your answer.
• Decision trees;
• Clustering;
• Accuracy;
• Coverage.
(8 Marks)
Over-complication
Decision trees are used in data mining as a way of progressively
breaking down data into groups. As this happens, the number in each
classification may be noted. A customer database may break down as
70% male, 30% female. The males may be divided into those that
spend over €1,000 a year with us (90%) and those that do not (10%).
The same subdivision for female shows that only 2% of females spend
over €1,000 with us. The high spending males break-down into 77%
under 30 and 23% over 30 years of age. When females are divided
into high and low spending, it might be found that 80% of high spenders
are repeat customers and 20% are not. Low spending females, on the
other hand, might be 90% non repeating customers. A parallel analysis
of high spending male customers might show that…
How you lose marks
•
•
•
•
•
•
Re-interpreting the Question
Poor English
Bullet Points
Lack of structure (aka Brain Dumping)
General Statements
Padding
Re-Interpreting the Question
What is/are the function(s) of merchants?
Merchants emerged in the USA, the UK, Japan and
Germany. In the USA the merchant was highly regarded
and the more wealth that he accumulated the higher his
status. Many merchants demonstrated their status by
building large properties and endowing public works. In
Japan the status of the merchant was low. Merchants were
at the bottom of the social order behind samurai and even
peasants. The latter were at least seen as creating
something; merchants were viewed as necessary
parasites. Etc.
Generalities
What is meant by the term ‘data mining’?
Data mining is an important technique used
in computer systems. Companies use data
mining to mine data. Many companies
today use data mining for a variety of
applications.
Padding
Work breakdown structures are important. They are used in all projects including civil,
mechanical and electrical engineering projects as well as software projects. Work
breakdown structures decompose the work to be done in a project into successively
smaller components. The result is a hierarchical structure. This is usually done by the
project manager, but may be done by sub managers or engineers. Being able to prepare
a work breakdown is an important project management skill and needs experience.
Specialist engineers may be required to complete a WBS where specialised work is
involved. The work breakdown structure enables the project manager to estimate more
accurately and later on helps in controlling the project. A typical breakdown may start
with a project being divided into phases, stages, activities and tasks. The lowest level in
the breakdown is usually a task though occasionally task may be further subdivided into
sub-task or even steps. The number of tasks in a project can be very large. The absence of a work
breakdown structure can cause problems in a project as it may not be possible to estimate accurately
or assign work effectively. If the work breakdown structure is not complete in some way, then the
project is almost certain to overrun. One project manager was quoted as saying that a good work
breakdown structure is of ‘monumental importance’. A proper work breakdown structure is normally
coded with a simple numeric coding system. The work breakdown structure may also be reflected in a
Gantt chart. A Gantt chart is a sort of horizontal bar chart used for showing the timing and duration of
the various stages of a project.
How to Do Well
Answer the Question
Demonstrating that you understand the question
is the first step in producing an answer
How you structure your answer is as important as
what you know
More is not necessarily better
First of All
Understand what is being asked
Only answer the QUESTION
Do not include irrelevant material
Look for keywords: “Cause & Effect”
“Explain & Discuss”
“Compare & Contrast”
Step-by-Step Method
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Read Question
Capture your idea
Do quick outline
You can adjust as you answer
Then begin to write your answer
Introduction
• The introduction is about the question –
not the answer
• Restate the question in your own words
• Find and use the key words
• Show that you know what the point of the
question is by defining the key
words/concepts/theories etc (see handout
on key verbs).
Structure for essay writing
Introduction
Main body – divided into
paragraphs (make point,
expand and give evidence)
Conclusion
Adapted from: Rosenwasser, David and Jill Stephen.
Writing Analytically. 3rd ed. Boston: Heinle/Thompson
Learning. Inc, 2003. Seattle University Writing Centre. For
more information: Hacker, Diana. A Writers Reference. 5th
ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003.
Equal time for equal marks
Leave time at beginning (to plan) and end
(to check) paper.
Question 4
Question 1
Question 2
40 minutes
40 minutes
Question
3
40
minutes
40 minutes
How to do well
1.
2.
3.
4.
Provide Analytical Answer (not descriptive)
Describe the context & situation
Discuss the implications (theoretical & practical)
Display evidence of reading/ thinking around
debate
5. Cover all sides
Practice
How do you prepare?
1. What do you do the week before the
exam?
2. What do you do in the exam?
Not practicing leads to..
•
•
•
•
•
•
Poor Handwriting
Brain Dumping
Irrelevant Material
Poor Structure
Running out of time
Anxiety
Would you sit your driving test without ever driving a car?
Practice makes perfect…
Practice Exam Skills
• 50% how well you know your material
• 50% performance in exams
• Knowing something is not the same as
being able to do it when the situation
demands it.
• You need to practice in a simulated
environment.
Steps to Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Get sample exam questions
Practice your starting procedures
Practice analysing questions (5 mins)
Practice generating ideas (5 mins)
Practice developing a structure (5 mins)
Practice writing Introduction (5 mins)
Practice past exam questions (timed and un
timed)
8. Mark your own answers as critically as
possibly
Study preparation
1. Generate a list of major topics using your
notes and past exam papers.
2. Create a chart or summary sheet of the main
topics and any relationship between themes.
3. Generate ideas and plan an outline for each
question
4. Follow a structure and review your essays
(time spent and quality of your answers)
Exam Writing
Writing
•
•
•
•
•
•
Not the same level as assessment
Keep your writing simple
Short sentences
Few sub-clauses
Practice writing
Avoid unsupported value judgements
- “World War II was really important.”
Think about your
examiner
Tour Guide
• “This is the broad area, but these are the
key issues because…”
• Use signpost words to develop your
argument
• Headings to delineate sections
Exam Revision Workshop
Student Learning Development
Thank you for your time
& Good Luck
Visit our website at:
http://student-learning.tcd.ie