Practical Issues That Students Frequently Want to Know about the 2 Parts of the Unit Exam

Tips: What Helps Learning? from the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

 

If you have questions about any of this webpage, please ask. I will expand these answers based on your questions. Tip: the password is at the bottom.

 

The two parts of the exam are:

·         The objective part means methods that are machine gradable, such as multiple choice, true/false, ordering items, and matching items.

·         The written part means a good, competent factual explanation of something in the history covered in the Chapters within the Unit.

All of the questions are done as sets:

·         The objective part consists of 25 questions at 4 points each—but, for each question, fate (or Blackboard) could ask you any 1 of 4 or more questions.
In other words, there are a minimum of 100 questions in the test that Blackboard could display for you to answer.

·         The written part displays 1 question worth 20 points for its contents. A separate grade of 20 is for whether you follow the 5 Good Habits for Evidence). Fate (or Blackboard) could ask you any of the other questions in the set.
In other words, there are a minimum of about 18 possible written questions that Blackboard could display for you to answer.
 
Also the writing questions do allow you to have a choice, but you must write on only 1 of the choices.
Example if you were writing about Unit 1 for U.S. History I:

o   If you got a question about some issue related to colonial regions, the question also lists that you may answer about New England, about the Middle Colonies, OR about the South.

o   If you got that question and you felt you understood New England best, you would answer the question only about New England.

Example if you were writing about Unit 1 for U.S. History II:

o   If you got a question about some issue related to regions in the Gilded Age, the question also lists that you may answer about the North, about South, OR about the West.

o   If you got that question and you felt you understood the West best, you would answer the question only about the West.

Information that students frequently want to know about the two parts of the tests

·         You have thirty minutes for the objective part of the test and forty-five minutes for the written part of the test because of the general requirements for citation covered in Evidence Matters and the specific requirements for Unit Writing Exams covered here.

·         In some courses you may have additional security measures, but I will explain them at least two weeks ahead of time.

·         The questions are meant to be ones that are useful understanding about history. They will not be trick questions.

 

Practical Issues About Content That Students Frequently Want To Know

Test questions will be from:

·         The textbook and materials provided as links in the course.

·         The required primary sources

Information that students frequently want to know about the Writing Exams:

·         Typically, the best short questions ask you explain an event (or a region at a specific period of time), give specific examples, and explain its major traits.

·         You must be specific and answer the question asked and use evidence appropriate for the question asked.

·         You must only use facts from the textbook or sources in the course.

·         The best qualities for writing about history are that it follow5 Good Habits for Evidence.

·         The goal of writing is to help you learn history and the best way to learn history is to try to teach it in a common sense but truthful and brief way.
Think of it as teaching your smart cousin something he or she must learn quickly but well. He or she would not want a lot of words or a lot of fluff.

·         When writing an answer in Blackboard, you cite pages in this very simple way.

 

The password – This is also on the Study Guide page.

You may take exams only 1 time; therefore, the password is


onetimeonly – no spaces and no capital letters.

 

 

 

Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2003-2016

 

WCJC Department:

History – Dr. Bibus

Contact Information:

281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu

Last Updated:

2016

WCJC Home:

http://www.wcjc.edu/