By Kevin Cheung, Associate Professor, School of Mathematics and Statistics
Exams aren’t always popular among students (are they ever?). However, in a large math class, exams and tests are almost inevitable to ensure consistency in the assessment of students.
In a previous blog article, I wrote about testing prerequisite knowledge at the beginning of a course. I suggested that having students prepare for such a “beginning exam” goes a long way in helping them get ready for new course material that is built on the prerequisite knowledge.
As students progress through new material, having term tests and possibly midterm exams give students spaced practice, which can improve long-term retention according to the science of learning. Unfortunately, enthusiasm for giving term tests and midterms is easilycurbed once one is confronted with the reality of the academic life of a typical full-time student. Such a student takes four to five courses in a given term and therefore has to write midterms for these courses often around the same time.
In fall and winter terms, instructors have to decide between giving midterms either before or after the term break. The wording of the university academic calendar seems to suggest that the break (not a reading week) is meant to give students a genuine break from their studies. Does it mean that giving a midterm right after the break is ill-advised because students shouldn’t be expected to study during the break? However, if all the midterms are scheduled before the break (which is around the halfway mark of the term), then the stress of studying for several midterms and working on course assignments or labs and attending classes can become difficult to bear.
Having taught full summer courses a few times, I feel that the summer term is the ideal term for giving midterms. There is a formal midterm exam period followed by a one-week break. During the summer, students often take no more than two courses. As a result, even though they might be working part-time or full-time, most of them don’t need to be studying for four or five midterms within a short time.