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March 16, 2005

Attention to detail

So the history test just passed away. I wrote two pages, but some have wrote considerably more. And for what? The questions weren’t that hard. They did not need long, complicated answers. All we have to do is to get the facts across. People just don’t bother to read the questions and understand what they are asking for (especially when the teacher gives them a handout with all the prompts).

In history, on the grade 12 level anyway, people get marked for substance. Detail, on the other hand, is largely irrelevant. Its memory work, not critical thinking. And luckily, thats not where marks come from. I write little (as you can see from my blog posts), but its good info. Gets the point across, too. Writing a lot, simply loses it. And I get marks for it accordingly. If a question is worth 5 points, you need to bring in 5 different ideas. Not 5 details about a single idea. If you want to do extra work, its fine with me… but otherwise, why do it?

Posted by Oleg Ivrii at March 16, 2005 04:12 PM

Well Oleg, when you don't study, and you don't know the answer, you have to bs something. And bs-ing something takes a lot more words than when you know the actual answer. Because you put down everything you can possibly think of and hope that the teacher will somehow find 5 marks worth of information in your jumble of an answer.

Posted by: Nikhil at March 18, 2005 12:23 AM

Actually, Nikhil, there is a difference between "circling around" or simply avoiding the question and deliberately making objective bullshit up. The teacher, unable produce evidence to the contrary, resists outright denial. Tests the honesty of the teacher, doesn't it? Its immoral, but... most often its subtle anyway, so who cares?

Posted by: Oleg Ivrii at March 21, 2005 01:01 AM