I can't actually post any of these because they are assessment items, but SHEEEEEEESH....

my daughter's AP Physics class is using assessment practices from somewhere hot and sulfurous, I'm pretty sure.

This is the third exam in a row where she's had about 40% problems which are completely novel-- not just novel in terms of the particulars, which I'd be totally okay with, but novel in terms of the conceptual APPROACH to the problems, as well. As in, they've never seen anything like it, had no instruction in how to approach a problem like it, and there are NO examples in their course or text to support solving them. They have to remember material from three or four units back, (or from a previous course, even), and SYNTHESIZE it with new material, in order to have any hope of solving the problems.

Oh-- and they have to make a bunch of assumptions. But not others, obviously. Because making those assumptions would be wrong. Only the ones intended are the correct assumptions. Apparently.

(Seriously, DH and I have both looked these exams over in the context of the course instruction and frankly, most college sophomores would be sinking under these expectations.)

It's completely surreal. She really knows the material well, can explain it well, can do the math well, can set problems up, etc... but she's routinely earning ~70% on these exams. Yikes.

Oh-- and just to make it more interesting, many of the problems include the multiple choice "trickster" answers which are basically "gotchas" for arithmetic/algebraic errors, and occasionally they throw in an answer which IS completely correct... but only if you define the coordinate system in an unconventional manner. Which, (drumroll please)... yes, that's right, my out-of-the-box kid has a penchant for. DH and I are both trying to figure out how they can omit telling students HOW to conventionally define things... but then PUNISH them for not figuring this out themselves, evidently.

:head. desk:


Last edited by HowlerKarma; 11/27/12 05:54 PM.
Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar. And doesn't.