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Re: Philosophy and exams
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GRRRRR....yes, that's a MUCH better system!
Nick Dippie <nd603@soton.ac.uk> wrote:
> To reply to this message or start a new topic please email:
BUPS-DIS@bups.org
>
>
>
> i was so busy thinking of finals i forgot to mention the standard assessment
> method here - each module is 50% coursework (2200 word essay) and 50% exam
> (an 1 1/2 hour exam where we only answer one question). in my opinion this
> works really well.
>
>
> Quoting David Saitch <philosophy@saitch.net>:
>
> >
> > At Birkbeck and, indeed, London University as a whole, there are a few
> > options.
> >
> > 1. Take 8 subjects (5 compulsory and 3 optional) and undergo 8 Finals
> > exams
> >
> > 2. Take 7 subjects (5 compulsory and 2 optional) and do a Dissertation of
> > up
> > to 7,500 words
> >
> > 3. Pre-submit three 2,500 word essays for a subject instead of sitting
> > the
> > final, for up to three subjects.
> >
> > So you could write 9 essays and a dissertation and then sit exams in 4
> > subjects.
> >
> > I think the London approach is a bit more flexible isn't it?
> >
> > It's still a tough call.
> >
> > Pre-submitted essays have to be of a much higher standard than exam
> > essays.
> > There has to be more in them and you can't go over 2,500 words, the
> > examiner
> > must stop reading at the 2,500 word mark.
> >
> > Since I usually get slightly better marks for essays than I do for exams,
> > I
> > was planning to take the Dissertation and nine essays route, leaving only
> > 4
> > exams. The more I think of it, the more work that sounds.
> >
> > Hmmm...next year is my final year, and time is flying by, so I have to
> > decide
> > what I am going to do. I have some A graded essays for Epistemology last
> > year
> > and am planning to try and do some A graded ones for Mind and for
> > Metaphysics
> > this year. If I achieve that, which there is no guarantee of, then I
> > think I
> > will be in a position to take the full pre-submission route - I can use
> > the A
> > grade essays I already have and refine them more and that will leave me
> > with a
> > couple of new essays to write.
> >
> > Ho hum, we will see.
> >
> >
> >
> > Nick Dippie <nd603@soton.ac.uk> wrote:
> >
> > > To reply to this message or start a new topic please email:
> > BUPS-DIS@bups.org
> > >
> > >
> > > well exams are definitely not going to go away and i think thats a good
> > > thing.with normal essays it is impossible to tell how much help people
> > are
> > > going to get from tutors etc - i've heard of some people going and
> > talking
> > > to their lecturers a hell of a lot for guidance, even if they can't
> > > actually show them anything. with exams you know it is only going to be
> > the
> > > students work.
> > >
> > > also thought you might be interested in the final year exams we have
> > down
> > > here in southampton - not sure how many of the rest of you have these
> > > particular tests. they're called the 'philosophical commentary' and
> > involve
> > > two three hour papers on entirely unseen material, with the qustion
> > > amounting to nothing more than 'comment on/analyse the passage' (which
> > is
> > > usually a good 3 sides long i think). and its worth as much as our
> > > dissertations.
> > >
> > > so yeah, exams test us in a completely different way to essays down
> > here.
> > > which i think is good.
> > >
> > > nick
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Quoting nj8 <nj8@ntlworld.com>:
> > >
> > > > To reply to this message or start a new topic please email:
> > > > BUPS-DIS@bups.org
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Well ... this is a perennial issue, and Rab's post sums up the usual
> > > > pros and cons. One thing that hasn't been mentioned, is that depts
> > often
> > > > justify exams on the grounds that they make you construct arguments
> > > > under pressure, and (also perhaps) to that extent they provide an
> > > > assessable vs. of the sort of philosophical discussion that takes
> > place
> > > > (hopefully) in seminars, symposia, conferences etc.
> > > >
> > > > Bear in mind that all assessment involves some sort of cut off point
> > > > (once you've submitted your essay, that's it) - with exams cut off
> > just
> > > > comes sooner! And they are well established in academic life, and
> > ain't
> > > > going to go away.
> > > >
> > > > And FWIW, 'professional' philosophers frequently spend months, even
> > > > years working on papers, rather than days or weeks!
> > > >
> > > > nick
> > > >
> > > > tommorganemail-bups@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Another thing Sheffield are doing, at least for the first year (the
> > > > > marks for which do not go towards the degree) is assessed
> > > > > presentations during tutorials, perhaps with the same advantages as
> > > > > the essay but addressing the problem that a lot of students can
> > write
> > > > > on a subject but not as many can talk about the subject with
> > > > confidence.
> > > > >
> > > > > Tom
> > > > >
> > > > > */Edward Grefenstette <pha04eg@sheffield.ac.uk>/* wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > To reply to this message or start a new topic please email:
> > > > > BUPS-DIS@bups.org
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > This is a topic that comes up quite frequently during
> > staff-student
> > > > > committee meetings.
> > > > > The gist of the conclusions is generally that not all
> > philosophy
> > > > > students are going to go on and do postgraduate studies, and
> > > > > therefore need their response to working under pressure, within
> > > > > monitored conditions, to be tested occasionally. Naturally the
> > > > world
> > > > > of exam essay writing is quite different from the world of
> > > > > philosophical research, so why must those of us interested in
> > > > evading
> > > > > the world of 'real' jobs go through with exams? After several
> > years
> > > > > of bitc-errr polite insistence on the point, our department
> > here in
> > > > > sheffield seems to be caving in and is potentially planning on
> > > > > allowing third year students to do more 'long essays' in lieu
> > of
> > > > some
> > > > > 3rd year exams, thus leaving the students with a suitable
> > choice
> > > > > between death by hanging on the corporate rope, or the more
> > subtle
> > > > > library/gas-chamber which leaves you asphyxiated under a pile
> > of
> > > > > books and broken dreams.
> > > > >
> > > > > As you can see, I too am looking forward to the end of term.
> > > > >
> > > > > Cheerio.
> > > > >
> > > > > -- Edward.
> > > > >
> > > > > On 14 Dec 2005, at 14/12/200516:04, Robert Charleston wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > To reply to this message or start a new topic please email:
> > BUPS-
> > > > > > DIS@bups.org
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ! As a man who suspects he's about to be mugged of a few
> > marks
> > > > > in the
> > > > > > next couple of days, as results are due, what do people think
> > of
> > > > > > philosophy exams?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I can see pros and cons.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On the 'con' side: Most (time) of the course I'm on involves
> > > > > > writing essay papers over a few days, with a known question
> > and
> > > > > > some reference books. It's a good mode of operating, can be
> > > > > > stressful when you don't leave enough time, but there's a
> > fairly
> > > > > > reliable correlation of effort and result. I am then examined
> > at
> > > > > > the end, using *a completely different skill*. One that I
> > haven't
> > > > > > practised during the year, have not had feedback on my
> > technique
> > > > > > for, and which I am poorly prepared for by the longer, more
> > > > > > involved essays that are required for good marks during
> > > > continuous
> > > > > > assessment. There's really not much you can do in an hour,
> > > > > > especially when you don't know what you're going ! to be
> > asked.
> > > > > > Furthermore, it doesn't seem to resemble professional
> > philosophy
> > > > > > life very much, which *is* about writing papers over several
> > days
> > > > > > or weeks from MA onwards, at least on most courses I've heard
> > > > > > described. So what on Earth is the point of the philosophy
> > exam?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Pro side: Continuous assessment essays can be bought off the
> > > > > > internet or copied. Exams are definitely your own work. You
> > only
> > > > > > write on 8-9 topics per module on continuous assessment. By
> > not
> > > > > > telling you what's in the exam, you are being forced to learn
> > > > more
> > > > > > than you will write on - extra coverage without extra marking
> > > > load.
> > > > > > The marking load for assessing everybody fully, with
> > prepared,
> > > > > > carefully worked-out papers on all topics in a module, would
> > be
> > > > too
> > > > > > much for most departments. It is difficult enough to get all
> > the
> > > > > > one-hour exam essay scripts marked.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > So, any important points h! ere? Is the exam a pragmatic
> > > > > response and
> > > > > > compromise that helps departments not students? Or are these
> > just
> > > > > > the suspicions and embittered ramblings of a scared and
> > under-
> > > > > > prepared man?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Rab.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Browse or search the BUPS-DIS archives, or unsubscribe from
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> > > > >
> > > > >
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> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > > >
> > > > > Tom Morgan
> > > > > *MorganBooks*
> > > > > **
> > > > > For contact purposes, my mobile number is +447905663313
> > > > > /Check out our Amazon.co.uk items at:/
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
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