1. Chapter 10
Preparing for Exams
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2. Agenda Learning Objectives The 6 Steps to Developing a Study Plan
Mass vs. Distributed Practice
Discussion
Chapter 11 Preview
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3. Learning Objectives Understand the process of developing a study plan.
Analyze the effectiveness of your study plans in the past and the changes you can make to better prepare for exams.
Develop a study plan through the use of a worked example.
Have students engage in Exercise 10.1: Self-Observation: Assessing Exam Preparation after you have reviewed the learning objectives.
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4. What are the steps to developing an effective study plan?
Step 1: Determine the content coverage and question format of the exam.
Step 2: Organize and separate the content into parts.
Step 3: Identify specific study strategies.
Step 4: Identify the amount of time needed for each strategy.
Step 5: Allocate time for each study strategy in a weekly schedule.
Step 6: Modify the plan as necessary.
Exercise 10.1: Self-Observation: Assessing Exam Preparation
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5. Steps 1 & 2: Check Your Sources (and then organize them into parts)
Course syllabus
Textbook chapters
Class notes
Previous exams/quizzes
Instructor’s handouts
Information from other students
Information from the last class before the exam.
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6. Steps 3 & 4: Check Your Toolkit: What strategies will be most effective (and how long will they take)?
Outline material in books.
Summarize material in your own words.
Create representations:
matrices to compare and contrast, sequences for steps in a process, diagrams for terms with a location, hierarchy for components of a greater whole.
Make cards:
formula cards, question cards, and problem cards.
Predict and answer potential questions (essay and/or objective):
lower- AND higher-level questions
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7. Step 5: Check Your Plan: Are you in Quadrant 1 or 2?
Urgent
NOT Urgent
Important
Quadrant 1:
The exam is today, tomorrow, or this week.
Quadrant 2:
The exam is a week or more away.
NOT Important
Quadrant 3
Quadrant 4
Since time spent preparing for an exam is always important,
this activity would not be placed into quadrant 3 or 4.
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8. Massed vs. Distributed Practice in Action
Short-term Sensory Store
Input
Memory Loss
Rehearsal
Working Memory
Long-term Memory
Storage
Retrieval
Attention
Elaboration
Organization
Depositing
Encoding
A great activity to illustrate the “spilling out effect” that occurs during massed practice (cramming) utilizes 2 sponges and some water. The water is analogous to information students are trying to learn and the sponge represents the working memory.
Pour all of the water onto one sponge quickly. Have students observe the amount of water that spills over the top and sides.
Slowly pour water onto the next sponge, stopping when it seems to be full of water. Pause to allow the water to soak in and then pour more water.
Be sure the sponges are the same size and the amount of water poured onto each is the same as well. Remind students that if the information/water spills out of working memory, then there’s no way of it getting into long-term memory. Also, if the information/water is crammed in at a fast rate, then the information is not encoded or stored, but merely deposited which makes retrieval extremely difficult. And students have to retrieve the information back into working memory in order to answer the questions on the test.
Cognitive Overload
Spilling out effect
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9. What time management strategies would be effective for Step 5?
Work ahead.
Be specific in identifying how you plan to use your time.
Prioritize tasks.
Estimate the time needed for each assignment.
Schedule tasks so they can be accomplished in 30- to 60- minute blocks of time.
Use technology to manage your time.
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10. Step 6: Continue to Check Your Plan!
Every night, review the parts of your plan you were able to accomplish.
Did you get everything done that you had planned?
What tasks took longer than expected?
What tasks did not take as long?
Adjust your plan for the subsequent day.
Make any necessary adjustments to your overall plan.
Reprioritize your tasks as needed.
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11. Discussion Questions
What sources do you usually use to prepare for a test? How could you incorporate additional sources into your study plan?
What study strategies may help you expand your toolkit?
Think about the different types of course you are enrolled in. How can you differentiate your test preparation for these courses?
How do you prepare for exams in different subjects? Consider history, literature, and college algebra, and discuss how you would approach preparing for an exam in each of these areas.
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12. Preview of Chapter 11: Taking Exams
After studying Chapter 11, you will be able to:
use test-taking strategies to improve performance on objective and essay questions.
Giving students a preview of the next unit/chapter is a great way to get them engaged in learning and support them in self-regulating.
NOTE: If you are using this book out of order (as recommended), you can find the preview of other chapters at the end of the PowerPoint for the previous chapter.
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