FMS MRes Dr Helen Webster Writing Development Centre Your questions On a postit note write down your question about writing for exams Todays session What exams really test Implications for revision ID: 602824 Download Presentation
FMS . MRes. Dr Helen Webster. Writing Development Centre. Your questions?. On a post-it note, write down . your question about writing for exams. ?. Today’s session:. What exams really test. Implications for revision:.
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Presentation on theme: "Writing examination answers"— Presentation transcript:
Slide1
Writing examination answersFMS MRes
Dr Helen Webster
Writing Development CentreSlide2
Your questions?
On a post-it note, write down
your question about writing for exams
?Slide3
Today’s session:What exams really testImplications for revision:
Revising for memory
Revising for understanding
In the exam:Time managementQuestion analysisQuick planning and structure
Writing and editingChecking After the examSlide4
What exams really assessSlide5
What examiners want:We want you to pass and show your best
We want to give you marks.
We want to see what you know, not what you don’t know
We have realistic expectations of what can be done in an examWe want you to answer the question we set you
We’re not trying to catch you outWe want to be fair and unbiasedSlide6
What do exams test?
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Knowledge
Understanding
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
EvaluationSlide7
7
Coursework writing vs
exam
writing:Working knowledge
7Slide8
Marking CriteriaSlide9
Implications for RevisionSlide10
How do you revise?What are your own strategies for revision?Slide11
The Revision Process
select
break down
Learn
revisit
test
Practise
apply
synthesise
Organise
rework
e
valuate/selectSlide12
“I can’t learn everything - How do I know what to revise?”
Module handbooks
,
etc: course aims and objectives.
Lecture notes: Listen for hints about what is core knowledge and what is there for illustration only. Text books: Compare with lecture notes to establish the overlap; this is core knowledge. Past papers: what would you need to know to answer the questions, and what depth would be reasonable for an exam answer?Future papers: what kinds of questions can you imagine setting?Slide13
working knowledge!)Reduce and expandApply material to questions, test your ability to explain itRe-work material into another form Text to bullet points, bullet points to mind-map, mindmap to index cards, index cards to table, table to voice recording, recording to diagram etcSlide15
Revising for higher skills: Past Papers
Practice
using
your knowledge and understanding with past papersMake up your own questions using past papers as a template
it, break it down, see how parts relate to one anotherSynthesise it with another source or topicEvaluate
itSlide17
Before the examSlide18
In the ExamSlide19
The Very First Thing you must do!Check the rubric:
Are you in the right exam?
How many questions do you have to do?
Do you have any choice out of the questions?How many marks are they worth?How long do you have?How long should you allowTo read the whole paper and choose questions
To answer each questionTo check your answersSlide20Slide21
Anatomy of an
Exam Question
Find the Focus and the Instruction as well as the SubjectSlide22
Different types of assignmentThe traditional essay question
OPEN: Why is a
non-synthetic (biological)
scaffold the most appropriate solution to a tissue engineering problem?
CLOSED: Do you agree that a non-synthetic (biological) scaffold is the most appropriate solution to a tissue engineering problem?The traditional essay instruction‘Discuss the technical and medical barriers to employing stem cells in tissue engineering’. The scaffolded instructionDiscuss the preparation of synthetic tissue engineering scaffolds using templating and non-templating approaches (50%). Describe, using examples, when using a non-synthetic (biological) scaffold might be a more appropriate solution to a tissue engineering problem (50%)Slide23
Instruction Words
Account for
Analyse
Assess
Compare and contrast
Comment on
Consider
Critique
Define
Describe
Discuss
Evaluate
Explain
Examine
Identify
Illustrate
Justify
Review
Show
Summarise
StateSlide24
If you were the examiner……What question would you set?
Devise a question suitable for testing a candidate’s working knowledge
knowledge
and higher skills in exam conditionsWhat would your marking criteria be?Slide25
Break the process down!
The Writing Process:
Select your first question
Analyse the questionDecide how to approach the question
Decide what to include/what to leave outMake a note of the main pointsDecide how you will structure the answerWrite the answerContent: Keep your answer closely focusedStyle: Write clearly and conciselyCheck your answer before submissionSlide26
Planning and structure: longer questionsQuickly note down the content you think is relevant
Organise the order in which you will structure it
Write it up
Cross the notes out!Slide27
If you were sitting the exam……what would your answer to your own question be?
Create a plan for an answer to your own exam questionSlide28
The Introduction:
Your reader’s perspective
What are you doing?
Why are you doing this?
How will you do this? Slide29
Plan The Introduction
What are you doing?
How do you interpret the topic and the question? Context, background and definitions (what does your reader need explaining, before they can make sense of your essay?), any limitations.
Why are you doing this?
Interpret the question (problematise, justify. Why is this question worth asking? How will you do this? Signpost structure (How are you going to answer – in what order?) and methodology (which models and theories will you use?)Slide30
Conclusions: Q & AWhat is biofilm? How do biofilms develop and what problems do they cause for the management of periodontitis?
Biofilm can be described as X, it is most likely to develop in this way, and these are the problems it causes because of these reasons.
‘Contentious Quotation’ Discuss and critically evaluate this view.
The statement is largely untrue, for these reasons, but there is still some truth in it, for other reasons.Slide31
The Conclusion
Return to the broad overall perspective from the narrow detail of the main body
Revisit the question, your answer, and the main steps by which you reached it
Do not include new material
You could consider the wider implications and significance of your argumentSlide32
Paragraphs and structure
Self assessment can
also develop skills which make a student more attractive to prospective employers.
Employers value students with skills in self assessment because these types of skills are relevant to a wide range of employment contexts. They want graduates who can accurately assess their own competencies in performing tasks. Students who can do this are well placed to take on responsibilities and adapt readily to roles in work places. The value in developing these types of assessment can be seen to go beyond meeting immediate educational needs. Students who have developed an autonomous approach to learning are well set up for life-long learning which will continue throughout and beyond their working lives.
Topic sentence: Introduction of the paragraph’s main idea
Main body in which the initial assertion is developed and explained
Conclusion to be drawn from the above points
Signpost wordSlide33
Microstructure:Paragraphs
ONE POINT
per paragraph.
Use a TOPIC SENTENCE
to show what the subject and purpose of the paragraph – this is basically your point. This first sentence is crucial. Use SIGNPOST words to show your argumentDEVELOP the point (first sentence) in the body of the paragraph – details, examples, etcCONCLUDE the paragraphSlide34
Signpost words - Types of linkA sequence of points
(firstly, secondly, thirdly)*
To add more examples or details
(moreover, furthermore, in addition, for example, for instance)*To focus on specifics or to broaden and generalise (specifically, in particular, in general, for the most part)To introduce a comparison or contrast, disagreement
(similarly, likewise, in contrast, however, although, on the contrary)To introduce reasoning (therefore, hence, thus. consequently)Slide35
Writing up and checking your answersWe don’t expect perfection in an exam!
Legibility, clarity, relevance are more important than style and strict accuracy
You might want to write on every other line or leave a margin for making edits
If you run out of time, jot notes and bullet points– you may get some marks for thisBuild in time to check your answers at the end:have you answered all the questions you need to?
Does your answer actually answer the question?Do you want to add, change or cross anything out?Slide36
After the examIf you want to compare your experience with other people after the exam, don’t take it too seriously!Slide37
And finally…Do have a (happy) Christmas break!Slide38
