Report #5
FIPP Activity Report
Funded by the Basic Skills Initiative
Name Kate McLaughlin
Date December 18, 2009
FIPP Partner Jim Noyes
Section #6238
Activity /Strategy Essay Questions Assignment
Category IV - Feedback and Evaluation
Briefly describe the activity/strategy.
1. Introduction I wanted an activity that would encourage students to study for
exams in a way that goes beyond rote memorization, provides incentive for
studying and gets them writing. To do all that, I decided that I would substitute
one of my regular homework assignments with an essay question assignment.
Prior to the midterm and the final, I would assign a homework in which students
had to come up with two essay questions they thought might be on the test and
then answer them fully.
2. Set up & Supplies Homework assignment sheet outlining the requirements.
3. Directions Write up the assignment sheet and hand it out with the due date.
4. Conclusion This was an extremely helpful exercise. Not only did I accomplish
the above itemized objectives, I also had a chance to let students know what I
expected in an in-class essay. I let them know what worked and what didn't
using specific examples.
What worked well? Incentivizing study time with homework points got students to crack
the book and engage int eh material. Requiring them to come up with questions got
them thinking about what would possible be on the test and having them write out their
answers was a great way for them to think about what they were saying, rather than just
doing flashcards and memorizing facts and dates.
What would you change? I'm thinking about giving more specific requirements on the type
of questions they should come up with. too often people came up with really short
questions that were more short-answer type of questiions. I think I'll also spend more
time going over what an essay question is and use examples to show them so they
know what I'm looking for.
Would you use the activity/strategy again? Why or why not? Yes, I definitely will. It's a
great tool.
Please describe any student learning outcomes/changes that you observed after the
implementation of the activity/strategy. There were a lot of really great essay question
answers on the test.