[RUME] "Blanking" on tests: any research on this phenomenon?

[Crowley, Lillie F (Bluegrass)]

Yep, and another thing that happens is that somebody in the class will get their hands on a solution manual for the text, which has  EVERY problem worked out, start to finish. They will share it with all the students they work with. The student(s) will then do their homework with the solution manual open to the solution, and check each step of their solution with the one in the manual. As long as textbook publishers continue to publish these (and you can't seem to get a textbook published these days without one....), there is little we can do about it, short of never assigning problems from the text. Then they will revert to plan A, which is to find an example that is just like the....

Lillie 


Lillie R. F. Crowley, Ph. D.
Professor, Mathematics
138 Moloney Building
Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Cooper Campus
Lexington, KY 40506-0235
(859) 246-6422 (Note new phone number)
(859) 246-4672 fax
Cell: (859) 230-5067
E-mail: lillie.crowley at kctcs.edu
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rume-bounces at betterfilecabinet.com [mailto:Rume-bounces at betterfilecabinet.com] On Behalf Of Tevian Dray
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 1:53 AM
To: Discussion list for the SIGMAA on RUME. 
Subject: Re: [RUME] "Blanking" on tests: any research on this phenomenon?

> With some students, I have been able to identify part of the cause as 
> doing homework in-tandem with an example. Namely, they find an example 
> just like a given homework problem and emulate that example 
> step-by-step. Of course, this strategy is not available on an exam, so 
> a student that relies on this technique is in trouble come test time.

I can't point to any research on "blanking" on tests, but I think you've hit the nail on the head: The transition from template problem-solving strategies to open-ended problems is difficult and, more importantly, not always addressed explicitly.  This problem is very noticeable when making the transition from lower-division mathematics to upper-division courses in any related field.  Some physics colleagues refer to this as the "brick wall".

You may be interested in the Context Rich Problems developed by Ken and Pat Heller and their physics education research group at the University of
Minnesota:
	http://groups.physics.umn.edu/physed/Research/CRP/crintro.html

We strive to implement these ideas in two current projects, which you may also find of interest.  The Paradigms in Physics project redesigns part of the physics major around themes ("spherical symmetry") rather than disciplines ("quantum mechanics"):
	http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/paradigms
The Vector Calculus Bridge Project emphasizes geometric reasoning over algebraic manipulation in multivariable calculus:
	http://www.math.oregonstate.edu/bridge
You may find our recent paper on (physics) students' difficulties with Ampère's Law of particular interest:
	http://www.math.oregonstate.edu/bridge/papers/ampere.pdf
Yes, this addresses upper-division content.  However, the point is not the specific tools being used, but rather the number of different ideas needed.

Tevian

Tevian Dray
Professor of Mathematics
Director, Vector Calculus Bridge Project

MAIL:	   Dept. of Mathematics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR  97331
PHONE:     (541) 737-5159	(Math Dept:  (541) 737-4686)
FAX:       (541) 737-0517
EMAIL:     tevian at math.oregonstate.edu
WWW:       http://www.math.oregonstate.edu/~tevian