Exams & Quizzes

Previous research has shown that frequent quizzing improves students’ learning and retention of information and results in better performance on exams (see, for example, Roediger, McDermott, & McDaniel, 2011).

As a result, quizzes will be given frequently in class (quizzes will never be given online) in this course without prior warning or announcement. Quizzes will cover the lecture material discussed in class as well as material from the assigned readings, so it is important to take thorough notes, to regularly review your lecture notes, and to read the assigned readings.

Each quiz will be worth 10 points. Quizzes cannot be made up; no exceptions. As a result, it is your responsibility to be in class for the entire time period. The number of quizzes given during the semester will vary.

Your two lowest quiz scores will be dropped at the end of the semester and will not be included in the calculation of your final grade.

Missed In-Class Quizzes Policy

In-class quizzes cannot be made up; no excpetions. As a result, it is your responsibility to be in class for the entire time period.

Unit exams will cover information from class discussions, assigned readings, video presentations, and assignments. Study guides for each unit exam are provided on D2L.

Each unit exam will be given online in D2L (not in class) and will be available for at least 48 hours (please see the course schedule). Once that window has passed, you will no longer be able to access or take that exam. You will only be allowed to take each exam once and no makeup exams will be given. Exams can be taken on any computer that has an Internet connection and you will not need the Respondus Lock Down Browser to take the exams.

There will be 5 unit exams, each consisting of 30 questions. Questions will be multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions. You will have 36 minutes to take each exam, with the exception of the Unit 3 exam; you will have 45 minutes to complete the Unit 3 exam.

Please note that D2L does a terrible job grading fill-in-the-blank and short answer questions correctly. As a result, Dr. Blackhart will go through each exam manually shortly after the exam date for each exam has passes to correct any correct answers graded as incorrect. You do not need to email her; she will automatically do this after each exam, including after the comprehensive final examination.

Missed Unit Exam Policy

Once the exam has closed, you will no longer be able to access or take that exam. You will only be allowed to take each exam once and no makeup exams will be given.

All students will be required to take a comprehensive final examination at the end of the semester. This exam will consist of 100 multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions covering all of the topics we will discuss throughout the semester and is worth 100 points.

This exam will be given online through D2L and you will have 120 minutes to complete the exam (it is a timed exam). In addition, you will have an opportunity to retake the final exam once if you are not happy with your initial grade. Because the questions included on the final exam are randomly selected from a larger pool of questions, however, it is unlikely that you will get the same questions on your second attempt.

You will not see the answers to any questions you miss on your first attempt. The highest score of your two attempts will be entered into the grade book for the final exam. You may take the final exam in D2L between 12:00am (midnight) Friday, 29th and 11:59pm Thursday, May 5th. If you miss this window, you will not be allowed to make up the final exam.

There is a lot of material covered in each unit and many of the questions are conceptual or applied, rather than factual, which are more difficult. The exam questions come straight from the notes provided and related materials (e.g., readings, assignments).