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11:33 a.m. - 2003-10-29
Dr. Bruce preaches electron transport chains
A last blast from Dr. Bruce--

I'm recovering from grading 280 exams for my two Biology 1 lecture classes. A lot of it was brutal(!). It's the most difficult material we cover on an exam in a two semester sequence--cell structure, energy concepts, aerobic respiration, membrane structure and function, photosynthesis. And my classes are mixed majors/nonmajors, since all students here at the University have to take at least one lab science sequence. Of course you know that most of them won't take physics or chemistry, so most roads lead to me.

The weird thing is, my early section did pretty well, with a median score of 73, while the midday section fizzled with a median score of 64, on a virtually identical exam (I change things around between the two versions, given on the same day). I give my classes a big review sheet/sample exam, with my 2 short answer 10-point questions drawn directly from the review sheet and many questions from the sample exam appearing too. So I tell them 3 weeks in advance what's gonna be on the exam. Some figure it out and work with it, others are frustrated that if they study for 3 hours on the day before the exam they get a 42(!!!).

But with that said, I still had three students get 100 or better on their exams, since I have an extra credit question and a 2-point attendance bonus if they were in class on a random day (ha! attend class regularly? death before dishonor!).

The sad thing is I have to confront the sorry state of public education in Alabama square in the face. If a student attended high school in most of the state's counties or cities, they went to a poor school at best, and even worse, many of them had a straight-A average in school on their way to reading and math skills typical (to me) of 6th-graders. So when they get to a for-real university like ours, they're outraged that they don't get an A for breathing in public. This attitude is made worse if they attend one of the sad excuses for community college in this state.

Gad, does this mean I'm a conservative in my old age?!? Or am I an elitist for assuming that college students can read and write in standard English? Oh well, times are tough all over.

Ruthiebat should return soon, I'll be picking her up in Birmingham this afternoon from her sojourn in New Hampster. Normal programming on this affiliate should be resumed.


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