Student "edition" found at {csi dot journalspace dot com}.

Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

There are several questions about teaching methods that I have right now, based on my latest round of exams for Computer Systems Organization class yesterday, two sections, same questions.

First is whether it would be more advantageous for the students if problem sets are assigned right before a major exam, and due at the start of the exam. Would the students be able to get the practice they need on the type of problems in the exam?

Or, would they just copy the answers from their more diligent classmates and afterwards complain to the teacher about failing or getting a low grade in the course, using their problem set submissions as their "proof" when the more compelling proof of their lack of knowledge enough is that there is a discrepancy between the apparently level of comprehension in the take-home problem set and the exam answered in the classroom.

Thus, the performance in the problem set falls under suspicion and may be put under scrutiny such as verbal interrogation.

@@ Another question is about providing point weights to the questions at the start of the exam. Here it gives some lazy students the bad idea of starting with the heavier weighted items, to get more bang for their effort, so to speak.

But it assumes that the students will not have the time to finish the entire test in the time allotted, which is again negative.

For me, I give the point system in general so that the students will be able to see that the rating always has a bonus, such as providing 110 points out of a highest possible grade of 100.

And I also keep open the possibility of changing the weight of the items depending of what more of the students get right, although I don't make it a point to announce that since the students may conspire to all just answer the easy questions and disregard the relatively more difficult ones despite the high point weight.

Session 2005 needs to test which "scores" higher with the students. Class dismissed.