It’s Show Time: Tests, Papers, and Presentations Chapter 7 It’s Show Time: Tests, Papers, and Presentations

Questions to Consider How can you combat performance anxiety? What do the best students do when they take a test? Should you change your answers on a test? What’s involved with choosing a topic for a paper or presentation?

Questions to Consider Where should you get information for your papers or presentations? What steps are involved in writing an essay or paper? What does an effective presenter do? What strategies can you use to make group work go well?

McClain (1983) Research Question: Do “A” students engage in different test-taking behaviors than “C” or “F” students? Chad McDermott/Shutterstock.com

The Study Test Behaviors Reading all answers; Skipping difficult questions; Anticipating answer before reading options; Eliminating wrong answers

The Results!

A Closer Look at the Results Variables A C F Answers read per question* 3.66 (.63) 1.82 (.51) 1.48 (.60) Number of anticipated answers* 40.90 (9.54) 7.65 (4.84) 2.30 (3.50) Critiques of incorrect answers per question* 1.93 (.25) .20 (.19) .07(.12) Number of questions initially skipped* 5.40 (3.41) 1.25 (1.45) .40 (.82) *p<.001

The So What Factor Preparation is still essential Practice these test taking behaviors Cover up answers to focus on the question before looking at options Don’t fall victim to trap of distracter items Skip difficult answers and find questions you know to build confidence Cross out wrong options Read all options before making a selection

Academic Stress Management Facilitative Anxiety Debilitating Anxiety Moderate amount of anxiety Effective- motivates you to perform without being overwhelming High levels of anxiety Hinders performance

Practice the Basics Get a good night’s sleep Eat a nutritional breakfast Take a walk or exercise AP Photo/Bradley C Bower

Challenge Negative Thoughts See Table 7.1 in Chapter 7 of Student Success in College: Doing What Works!

Nelson & Knight (2010) The Power of Positive Recollections: Reducing Test Anxiety and Enhancing College Student Efficacy and Performance l i g h t p o e t/Shutterstock.com

The Research Question Does thinking about successful experiences prior to taking a test impact test performance? angelo sarnacchiaro/Shutterstock.com

The Study Students were randomly assigned to one of the following groups Think and write about a successful experience Think and write about your morning Test Scores

The Results!

The So What Factor! Focus on a successful experience before taking a test Try this before writing a paper or doing a presentation

Reducing Anxiety See Tips for Reducing Performance Anxiety and Improving Performance summary box in Chapter 7 of Student Success in College: Doing What Works!

Multiple Choice Test Strategies Anticipate answers Read all choices Eliminate wrong answers Skip difficult questions Write on exam to highlight key terms Draw figures or diagrams on exam Mark questions that need further attention Chad McDermott/Shutterstock.com

Is Changing Your Answer a Good Idea? Most students do change answers but only for 2% of the questions If you have a good reason for doing so, it usually leads to a good outcome! Misread question Discover a clue Chad McDermott/Shutterstock.com

The Short Answer and Essay Exam

Planning Carefully read question Divide time you have to complete test by number of questions to see how much time you have for each question Spend 1/5 of your time on this stage Organize thoughts- jot down main ideas and some details antoshkaforever/Shutterstock.com

Writing Strong opening that directly responds to question- thesis statement Each paragraph should have a clear opening sentence focused on purpose Keep purpose of test and audience in mind- show what you know Strong conclusion that emphasizes main point Petro Feketa/Shutterstock.com

Proofreading Re-read the question Be sure you’ve answered all subparts of the question Check that your ideas are connected Be certain you provided support for your opinion- back it up! Check and double check spelling and grammar Focus on words that are on the page, not ideas in your head

Take Home Exams Can be challenging and rigorous Higher expectations Time consuming- plan ahead! Can typically use resources like computer to create a polished product!

On-line Exams May be less anxiety producing than in person exams Professor decides on “settings” like time limits Take advantage of practice opportunities if available to work out technology issues Take it well before deadline so that if you encounter a problem, you’ll have time to address solutions Laurence Gough/Shutterstock.com

Identifying Topics See Table 7.3 in Chapter 7 of Student Success in College: Doing What Works!

Identifying Sources of Information See librarians for assistance Peer reviewed journals, books, newspapers, Internet Read original work whenever possible Encyclopedias not typically considered appropriate for college level work

Evaluating Websites See Table 7.4 in Chapter 7 of Student Success in College: Doing What Works!

Avoid Plagiarism by Citing Sources Always cite someone else’s thoughts or ideas (paraphrasing) Cite everything except your own ideas or general knowledge When using exact words from someone else, use quotations too

Citation Styles MLA – Modern Language Association APA – American Psychological Association Two most common styles Both require: In-text citations Works Cited or Reference Page

Citation Examples See Table 7.5 in Chapter 7 of Student Success in College: Doing What Works!

Organization Focus on outcome Know your audience Map out a path Strong opening Keep your map or outline in front of you Strong conclusion Thomas M Perkins/Shutterstock

Revising See Revision Tips and Strategies in Chapter 7 of Student Success in College: Doing What Works!

Proofreading Check for accuracy and errors Shift from global to specifics Confirm that you always cited sources Seek tutoring or writing support if needed

The Golden Rule

Strong Openings Grab the attention of your audience Interesting statistics that speak to the importance of the topic Stories that help the audience connect to the material on emotional level Audience involvement through questioning or activities Humor valdis torms/Shutterstock.com

Tips for Effective Presentation Delivery See Table 7.6 in Chapter 7 of Student Success in College: Doing What Works!

Emphasizing Important Concepts Say it’s important Become more animated or change voice Repeat the information Dramatic pause Spend time on topic Several examples Share stories Use visual tools Master3D/Shutterstock.com

Strong Conclusion Summarize key points Focus audience back on your main idea

Power Point Tips Chunk or organize information in visually effective manner Headings Charts Visual Images Graphs Limit use of words Use phrases not sentences Limit number of bullets and text on each page

Practicing Your Presentation Practice a lot! In front of mirror, family, friends, etc. Watch timing Avoid filler words like “umm” Ask audience for feedback Barry Barnes/Shutterstock.com

GROUP WORK corepics/Shutterstock.com

Group Rules Together create rules such as Attend all group meetings; call if emergency Come prepared to all meetings Respond to e-mails within 24 hours Respect one another

Group Roles

Student Success Revisited See Time for Action 7.8 in Chapter 7 of Student Success in College: Doing What Works!