Re: Would like to find study group for computer science comprehensive exams.

tchow@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
In article <5o73g6FijrhpU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Jamie Andrews; real address @ bottom of message <me@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Patricia Shanahan <pats@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Change the question in a subtle way that looks rather like the previous
question. ...
[...]
Yes; if you're lucky, you can use that technique for
generating new questions. Some courses are easier than others
to use that technique on.

Yes, that's right. Typically, the more advanced the class (and advanced
classes are the ones for which the argument for open-book exams carries more
weight), the more difficult it is to just "tweak the question."

Why does the argument for open book exams carry more weight for advanced
classes?

From my point of view, high school and getting my bachelor's degree were
really difficult, master's degree courses were rather easier, and Ph.D.
coursework easier still. At each stage, the emphasis shifted away from
the really difficult work of memorization and towards the fun, easy
stuff, understanding and applying ideas.

However, I was lucky that my bachelor's degree was at a non-US
university, and was not graded on a GPA basis. Otherwise, it might have
excluded me from the UCSD Ph.D. program, though I might have got in
anyway on life experience, patents, etc.

I think you are underestimating the effectiveness of closed book for
making previous exam questions valid. When I was preparing for the GRE,
the books seriously suggested memorizing lists of words and definitions.
Surely people who are capable of that are also capable of memorizing the
last few exams and their answers.

As I said, I generally favor open-book exams for advanced classes, but at
the same time I suspect Patricia Shanahan has little experience teaching
the same graduate class year after year and hence underestimates the
challenges involved.

"little experience" is being kind about it. My only teaching experience
is as a teaching assistant for undergraduate courses. I have only
consumer, not producer, experience of exams.

In response to the complaints of the person who started this thread---don't
try to force USENET to bend to your will; take it for what it is. You'll
probably get some free help if you post questions occasionally. You're not
likely to find a tutor that will commit to you for a negotiated sum of
money. For that, you're probably better off advertising locally.

I suggest advertising at the school where he intends to do his Ph.D. A
student there will know what things he will face in his comps.

Patricia
.

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