Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success : A Self-management Approach

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272 CHAPTER 11

In Response 2, the student fails to organize his or her response to

the question. The response is essentially one paragraph without atten-

tion to the two parts of the question. The single paragraph includes

many ideas that could have been subdivided. The discussion aspect

only includes the writer’s point of view, omitting any reference to the

oppositional arguments. The example of the flat tax is placed at the

end of the first paragraph instead of the beginning. In addition, the

preachy or narrow point of view does little to support a balanced

response to the question. This point is clearly seen in the conclusion

in the final paragraph. Finally, the student should have changed

receives to receive in the ninth line of the essay.

Did you have any other comments regarding the two essays? If the

essay was worth 10 points, how would you score each essay?

Table 11.1 reviews the procedures for answering multiple-choice ques-

tions, the most common objective question format, followed by pro-

cedures for answering essay questions.

TABLE 11.1

Procedures For Answering Multiple-Choice

and Essay Exam Questions

Procedures for Answering

Multiple-Choice Questions Examples

1. Carefully read the directions to
   determine if there is any special
   information for answering the questions.

Directions: Answer all questions.

There is no partial reduction for

incorrect answers.

2. Determine how much time you will
   allot for answering the questions by
   following the rule: Percentage of total
   points  Percentage of total time.

“Let’s see, I have 50 multiple-choice

and 2 essays to answer in 120

minutes. The multiple-choice

questions are worth one point each

and the essays are each worth 10

points—that’s 70 points. The

multiple-choice questions are worth

50/70 or .71 of the exam. I better

allot about (120 .71) 85 minutes for

the multiple-choice and about 17

minutes each for the two short essays.”

3. Read the stem and all the choices “I was about to choose ‘careful
   first before determining the best answer. learners’ until I read the better choice
   ‘active learners’.”


4. Skip difficult questions.


5. Review choices that are very
   similar.

“I’m going to read the stem and each

alternative before I make a choice. I

will cross out each alternative that I

know is incorrect and focus only on

the alternatives that are left. If necessary,

I will redefine terms in my own words

to help me make my final choice.”