Monday, February 4, 2008

EXAMINATIONS AT END OF SEMESTER? YES OR NO?





So we have come to the end of the first semester at CCC ACE and the papers have been graded and the reports are being prepared. It was obvious from the papers I have checked that there is a dire need to get students focused on their studies.

Some schools are now working on the daily grades system so there is no examination at the end of the semester. While it is all good to focus on the daily grades and it minimizes the work load at the end of the semester, I wonder if we will be able to say the students have retained what they learnt for the semester. Will it open a bag of worms where the student will focus only on the task at the moment and by the end of the year he or she is lost on the materials taught. I FEAR THIS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

Anyhow, presently we have to accept that some students do not function well on examination day. In fact from my experience in teaching, I have come to the conclusion that where my subject, ENGLISH, is concerned daily grades DO NOT reflect the student´s knowledge. AFTER I have averaged all the grades and the exam, the grade the student gets for the semester has always been the grade I AM COMFORTABLE WITH. For me, it has always shown the true grade and level of knowledge of the student. SO, while it would be nice to not have a lot of papers to check after examinations, I believe that I will continue to support end of semester examinations.

SORRY STUDENTS BUT IT IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!!

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