It’s midterm week here at LSU.
Not all students at the University get to celebrate this glorious occasion, but there are those that get to hit the books in preparation from mid-semester exams.
Speaking of these wannabe finals, I should probably be studying for mine right now. But, being the procrastinator I am, I’m going to write this column instead.
So here we go — this column is brought to you by procrastination with Adam.
With the recent freezing over of hell, Satan has decided to relocate to his usual winter home just north of his current residence.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, you may be wondering where Satan’s new living area is. I’m here to tell you it’s a little closer than you think.
Residing among the computers down in the basement of Himes is the devil himself conspiring against the students who enter to take tests.
His Grinch-like grin is proudly displayed every time a student exits knowing they just bombed a test. He’s hiding behind the scenes, making sure only the most difficult questions appear on every person’s test.
OK, I may be exaggerating a bit, but not by much.
Computer-based testing is something most, if not all, students have encountered at the University.
I understand the testing center is a much easier way to accommodate the classes and sections with several hundred students in them — and with recent budget cuts, this number will grow significantly — but it’s not the fairest way for teachers to evaluate students’ performances.
For example, one of my class’s tests in the testing center is a 50 question test — 25 multiple choice, 25 true/false.
The catch is, there are 250 questions in a question bank, and the computer pulls a random 25. Therefore, my test may not be the exact same as someone else’s test. I may have gotten a more difficult set of questions than my classmate.
I’m sure not all teachers use that method, but questions can sometimes be worded incorrectly or just downright confusing. In a normal classroom, a student could easily ask the teacher what he or she meant when phrasing the question. But the teacher isn’t in the lab. Students have to rely fully on the people working the desk.
And no disrespect to the lab workers — they do their best to help the thousands of students they see a day — but they aren’t the ones who wrote the test.
Speaking of the high volume of students that descend to the lab, more students means more distractions while taking a test. I don’t have ADD, but the constant moving, backpacks zipping and people not being able to follow numbers to find their seats easily breaks my train of thought when trying to concentrate on my exam.
Speaking as a former engineering student, whoever decided it would be a good idea to hold computer-based math tests should consider checking into Arkham Asylum. Math tests thrive on partial credit to say the least, and making the test multiple choice to confuse students is just downright wrong.
Finally, the tests are not during class time. Therefore, I have to hope and pray my teacher remembers to inform us scheduling has opened before people just happen to stumble upon the Web site and take all the good time slots. Trying to schedule a test around classes, work and even other tests can sometimes be more complicated than the actual exam.
Computer-based testing unfortunately isn’t going anywhere, and it’s just something I — along with the rest of the University — will have to learn to deal with. Maybe with all the budget cuts, Satan’s new lair can go with them.
Hey, one can dream.
Right?
Adam Arinder is a 20-year-old communication studies junior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_aarinder.—-Contact Adam Arinder at [email protected]