Thought for the Day (Dec 15)

Subject: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: Peter T.
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 09:44 AM

The lowest form of human life, to me, well below Sudanese slave traders, are the people who write software manuals, or even worse, the people who design the help interfaces for the software. They seem to have no experience of human beings upon which to base their work. Until yesterday, the wellspring of human warmth towards them was always empty. However...

I have 200 students yesterday in an exam (written by me). The first section is multiple choice. In the exam room I announce twice, and once in the middle, that they are not to circle their answers on the exam, but write them in their book. Directly above this space in large letters is written:

DO NOT MARK THE ANSWERS HERE. PUT THEM IN YOUR BOOK

. 5 students pay no attention, and do it anyway. Kierkegaard says you can teach no one anything; St. Augustine puts it down to the perverseness of original sin. My mother says, When all else fails, read the instructions. Aaaaaaahhhhhhh........

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: IceWolf
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 09:48 AM

RTFM: "Read the, uh, FINE manual."
RTFMA: "Read the manual, sir."

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: Allan C.
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 10:29 AM

I'd say if you had less than three percent non-compliance, you were pretty lucky!

Years ago there was a twenty item test which was given by a number of instructors I knew. At the top of the page it said "Read all instructions before doing anything else." Then a numbered list of instructions followed. It began with something simple like:
1. Draw a small triangle in the bottom right corner of this sheet.
2. Write the second word in the title of the song which has the chorus beginning with the words,"Jingle Bells".
The test went on in this fashion until number twelve:
12. Congratulations! If you have successfully followed the instructions thus far, stand in your chair and loudly announce: "I have completed number twelve!" Then continue on to the next instruction.
Of course, number nineteen said:
19. Now that you have read all of these instructions, write your name at the top of the page, turn this sheet over and wait quietly for the rest of the class to finish.

It was a good lesson.

Okay, I know you are wondering...No, I wasn't among the ones who were taken in by this.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 11:12 AM

Peter T., if I were your student, you are almost guaranteed I'd be the one writing on the exam booklet.
I have the hardest time listening to instructions.
The harder I try, the more nervous I get, the greater the chance I will do something wrong.
I think is boils down to, being determined to do things my own way, in my own style.
So I blank out direction and focus on individual expression at any cost.

Bonnie

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: Peter T.
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 11:20 AM

Dear Allan, God, I took that bastard test too! I (of course) was totally taken in. What I remember best was drawing a microscope and naming the parts. The kid next to me tried to erase everything when he found out. I have always read exams ever since. I was not complaining about them not reading the exam -- the SIGN WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM. And I told them 3 times verbally. It is the total level of obtuseness that amazes me -- moderate obtuseness is what I personally do best!!!
yours, PEter T.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: Bert
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 11:29 AM

It's change they can't accept. The saying goes "But we've ALWAYS done it like that". I got an awful lot of flack from a group of students once because the test wasn't multiple choice. It was a programming class and they were most upset that, for the test, they had to write a program and NO it wasn't open book.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: MMario
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 11:48 AM

*gasp* Bert - I'm shocked that you would even CONSIDER giving a test that relies on knowledge and understanding of the subject being taught....it's....it's.....ohgawd...it's as if you expected students to LEARN!!!! Aren't you aware that classes are social occasions and education can seriously interfere with the development of a student's social life, not to mention their psyche?

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: Jeri
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 12:04 PM

I took the test, Allan, and got it right. Peter T, maybe next time, in addition to the written and verbal instructions, you could have them repeat after you "I will not write in the test booklet."

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: sophocleese
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 12:40 PM

I remember doing a small quiz in class once where we were to write our name at the top of the page. Then we wrote the numbers 1 to 10 down the side of the paper. Our instructor read out questions and we wrote the answers next to the numbers. Not the hardest thing on the planet but the guy next to me got 0. His first answer after his name was my name and all the other answers were off by one place. Strange.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 02:29 PM

200 people sitting in a room taking a test is a scarey situation, if that's the kind of thing you are scared of. When you are scared you stop listening.

What's surprising about that? I can guarantee there is some situation that would scare each of us into doing something stupid like that, but that most people wouldn't find scarey at all.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: Skipjack
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 02:41 PM

Know what you mean, McGrath. Let me hide behing a couple of fiddles, and (on occasion) I can really make it cook. If I'm the only harmony instrument, upfront of fourteen guitars it can so easily go to sheeit. Irrational fear. There's a whole new thread, Which instruments are banned in folk clubs? I am put it mind of Wild Willy Barretts masterpiece "I did it Ot Way". Despite the Sinatran link, it is a bluegrass instrumental piece, which Wild Willy picks out, as he saws the instrument up. When the bridge folds, and the strings go in all pitch directions, it is the funniest thing since Les Dawson's piano playing. So there, an answer, a question, a thread, and the start of the funniest tune.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 03:06 PM

Wild Willie Barrett - great man. Doing slide guitar with a raw egg, and people expecting it to break - then he chucks it at a random member of the audience, and it does.

While we're drifting the thread, but still dealing with tense situations - ever play the game where you spread a paper tissue tight across a beer glass, stick a coin in the middle, and then people take turns burning a hole in the paper, till at last the coin drops. Gets surprisingly tense towards the end. Supposed to originate in North African jails.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: Peter T.
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 04:07 PM

What do you burn it with? whiskey? (joke).
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 15)
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 15 Dec 99 - 05:07 PM

McGrath, I completely agree with you.
I can't hear a thing when I am scared.
I go deaf, dumb and blind.

BB