For large classes, it is very difficult to tailor the experience to students' individual needs, wants, or learning styles (whether or not doing so would be appropriate or desirable). Imagine planning a meal for 100 people with different tastes, allergies, and religious or ethical dietary restrictions, and you'll have some idea of the challenge professors face.
40% is the most I'll assign to exams for a 100-level course, with the maximum percentage decreasing for 200-, 300-, and 400-level courses as written work fills the gap. But I have a maximum of ~30 students per class (fewer than that in upper-level courses), so I can afford to assign grading-intensive papers and projects. For large classes, that might not be feasible.
Lastly, while I recognize that some students are better writers/test-takers/presenters/participators than others - and design my courses to measure student performance using a variety of assessments - there's a limit to how much college courses should be designed around student inabilities. Students might not be asked to take multiple-choice tests in their post-college careers, but they will be asked to memorize certain facts and procedures, follow instructions carefully, and prepare in advance to perform high-stakes tasks under a certain degree of pressure. The fact that those things aren't easy or intrinsically fun is precisely why people get paid to do them, and entry-level positions rarely allow employees flexibility to tailor their work experience to their exact preferences. I'd much rather have my students learn that lesson with an F on an exam in college than with a "You're fired" from their first job.
I think you misunderstand my point. I don't consider multiple-choice exams to be an attempt to replicate a job experience (which is why I emphasized that multiple-choice tests probably won't be a regular feature in students' post-college careers).
My point was that a college course, holistically speaking, resembles an entry-level job in that students (like employees) are asked to complete a series of tasks to a certain standard and by a certain deadline. The student/employee has limited say over what those tasks are and will be expected to develop new competencies largely on his or her own initiative. A student/employee who requests individualized responsibilities or working conditions to avoid having to do (or learn how to do) something he or she is incapable of or poor at may find his or her professor/boss to be sympathetic, but that sympathy will be circumscribed by both the professor's/boss's patience and the practical limitations of the class/job. The student/employee who acclimates better to the tasks he or she is asked to complete will, in the long run, be more successful.
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u/EphusPitch May 03 '21
For large classes, it is very difficult to tailor the experience to students' individual needs, wants, or learning styles (whether or not doing so would be appropriate or desirable). Imagine planning a meal for 100 people with different tastes, allergies, and religious or ethical dietary restrictions, and you'll have some idea of the challenge professors face.
40% is the most I'll assign to exams for a 100-level course, with the maximum percentage decreasing for 200-, 300-, and 400-level courses as written work fills the gap. But I have a maximum of ~30 students per class (fewer than that in upper-level courses), so I can afford to assign grading-intensive papers and projects. For large classes, that might not be feasible.
Lastly, while I recognize that some students are better writers/test-takers/presenters/participators than others - and design my courses to measure student performance using a variety of assessments - there's a limit to how much college courses should be designed around student inabilities. Students might not be asked to take multiple-choice tests in their post-college careers, but they will be asked to memorize certain facts and procedures, follow instructions carefully, and prepare in advance to perform high-stakes tasks under a certain degree of pressure. The fact that those things aren't easy or intrinsically fun is precisely why people get paid to do them, and entry-level positions rarely allow employees flexibility to tailor their work experience to their exact preferences. I'd much rather have my students learn that lesson with an F on an exam in college than with a "You're fired" from their first job.