exam preparation
when I asked Pat if I could photograph the information navigation system Pat was using in preparation for the PRINCE2 practioners open-book exam, Pat blushed and said ‘I can be a bit anal sometimes‘
Pat’s desk was equally well ordered, there was an elegance and functionality to the layout
I sat between Pat and Sam. After photographing Pat’s book and desk I asked Sam if I could photograph Sam’s book and desk
Sam smiled, giggled a little, and said yes. Sam spent time colour coding the highlighted sections, reading and highlighting, tearing-up post-it notes to strips then placing them on pages as we encountered information. As the course progressed the post-it notes became creased and were moved around, re-ordered. Sam’s desk looked a little hap-hazard to the outsider but in reality there was clear order and functionality to the process being used.
My book? No highlights, no highlighter pen, no post-it notes, page markers or even pencil notes.
What?!
My plan was not to spend any time finding stuff in the book during the 2 and a half hour exam, not to create and remember colour-coding systems. Why not? My goal was to understand the book’s contents to a level that alleviates the need for reference and developing a reference system beyond the existing contents list, index and glossary. Novel approach for this course where the instructors actually told us what to highlight! A risky approach because there is more information in the book than I could learn in the time I’ve been studying. Not marking-up the book was partly a motivation to learn the contents.
To my amazement – I PASSED! without opening the book in an open book exam! Now many people might say that’s just
stubborn and silly?
You know me well!
February 10th, 2011
Congratulations, that is fantastic news! I am so pleased for you.
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February 10th, 2011
Good work!
I guess it all depends on whether folks regard the book itself as a means or an end. I do the teaching thing and I’m always pleased when I get the students to realise that I’m telling them stuff not because I want them to trot it out in an exam, but because I want them to be able to use what I tell them to achieve things.
Some of them seem surprised that anything they are taught turns out to be useful in “Real Life”…
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February 12th, 2011
Bravo!!!
Contrary and delightful… much better than stubborn and silly.
Sx
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February 20th, 2011
Well done.
I hate open book exams, they are always a temptation to learn the geography of the book rather than understand the content.
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