Dare I say it... The end of the semester is coming! For my school, finals start May 10! And this means that my students are already asking me alllllll the questions about their final exam. Can we use a calculator? (yes.) Will we have to memorize the formulas? (no.) How many questions will it be? (not sure yet.) Can we use notes? (YES!)
But there are some rules about these notes. See, when I started teaching 10 years ago, I followed what some of my fellow co-teachers were doing and allowed my students to bring in one 3in x 5in index card filled with whatever notes they wanted. Here's some negatives that I observed:
- Some students did it, but a lot didn't (and those students didn't do as well)
- A lot of students didn't seem to know what to prioritize on their card. There were some very specific notes that came from the recesses of their notebook, but didn't end up being needed (in other words, they wasted space on the card).
- Some students decided to google information about the topics we learned, copy and paste it, make is tiny (like size 5 font), and print it out on their card. This proved to be unhelpful because they didn't even know what was on their card come test day.
BUT, I wasn't ready to throw out the idea entirely! For those who prioritized the information to just a handful of concepts that they needed to feel confident on the test, it was extremely beneficial! The following year, I made some changes to the rules, and it's been the best decision! Here are my rules:
RULE #1: One Page, One Side
I've tried index cards, and I've tried two-sides of a piece of paper. One-side seems to be the sweet spot where students have to determine what is the most important information to include, and make sure they know everything else very well.
RULE #2: Handwritten
This rule eliminates the copy and paste
issue I described earlier. It forces students to actually KNOW what is on their page, and easily be able to find it when they need it during the test. There's also an argument to be made about the importance of handwriting in remembering information, so that may also be an added benefit of this rule.
RULE #3: Three Examples
I always give my students a practice test prior to the final exam. I allow them to pick 3 questions from that practice test to include on their card (completely solved out). I limit it to 3 because if I didn't, they would fill the paper with practice test questions, and not feel the need to study. I had students do this before making the rule, and to be honest, it didn't actually help them do well on the test. It was a false sense of security for them since they didn't feel the need to study. Limiting it to 3 examples makes them decide which 3 they feel least confident about, and have an example to reference during the test, minimizing their anxiety surrounding those questions. So what else do they put on the paper? Definitions, steps to a process (like how to graph), formulas, visuals reminders, etc.
After making these changes, students were making note sheets that actually helped them! And the main way it helps them is by making them study as they create it. They come in ready and confident with this paper in hand, and many of the students never need to look at it a single. time. Oh one more thing to mention, I also offer them a very small extra credit for making it! This motivates those who are on the fence, to do it.
So what do you think, are you going to allow notes during your final?
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