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Spring 2008 Final Exam Survey. Committee on Planning and Priorities (CPP). Paula A.Y. Maas Center for Institutional Effectiveness. Background. Spring and Fall Final Exam periods have very different schedules Reading days Exam days Number of exams per day Length of day
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Spring 2008 Final Exam Survey Committee on Planning and Priorities (CPP) Paula A.Y. Maas Center for Institutional Effectiveness
Background • Spring and Fall Final Exam periods have very different schedules • Reading days • Exam days • Number of exams per day • Length of day • Some of the difference results from when the semester begins • (based upon Martin Luther King Holiday)
Survey • CPP designed three surveys and invited participation after Spring 2008 final exams were over • Students • Faculty • Staff • Each survey had different questions • Plenty of room for comments • Purpose of all was: “How effective was the final exam process in Spring 2008?”
Respondents • Student and Faculty response rates were good • Student respondents closely matched enrolled TCNJ students for both class level and School of reported major. • More full-time faculty than adjuncts responded to the survey (compared to the numbers employed at TCNJ) • More faculty from the School of Science and less from Education and the Arts & Communication responded than would be expected. • 34 staff members responded (but we only expected those staff who interacted with students, faculty or the exam process to respond). • Staff responses were merged into three groups for analysis purposes
Student Respondents 1683 students responded – a 27% response rate
Student Respondents 1683 students responded – a 27% response rate
Faculty Respondents 141 faculty responded – a 40% response rate
Faculty Respondents 141 faculty responded – a 40% response rate
Staff Respondents 34 staff members responded – a 5% response rate* *but many staff would not be expected to respond, as their positions would not include familiarity with the final exam experience
Reading Days • Almost 60% of freshmen, sophomore and junior respondents indicated that the number of reading days did not meet their needs • More students from the Schools of Engineering and Science felt this way. • A majority of faculty respondents (87%) indicated that they felt their students had adequate time to prepare for finals. • Most who felt students did not were from the Schools of Culture & Society and Science. • Most staff (74%) felt that students used the reading days productively. • Almost all faculty (94%) are available to students during the reading period • Some (13%) only electronically
The number of reading days met my needs as a student in terms of preparing for final exams and/or completing final projects.
The number of reading days met my needs as a student in terms of preparing for final exams and/or completing final projects.
Do you feel that your students had adequate preparation time in the days leading up to their final exams?
From your interactions and observations of students through your department/office, do you feel students use the assigned reading days productively?
“Best Effort” • 62% of freshmen, sophomores and juniors felt that the Spring 2008 exam schedule did not allow them to put forth their best effort. • More than half the students from the School of the Arts and Communication (56%) felt it did. • Over half of the staff (67%) felt that students were given the time and conditions to be successful on exams. • Those who didn’t noted the same issues as students, namely: • exam schedule was too “crunched” together; • exam times were “too early or too late”; • exams were scheduled for Monday evening - which students thought of as a reading day.
The schedule for my final exams allowed me to put forth my best effort.
The schedule for my final exams allowed me to put forth my best effort.
Exam Length • Almost all students (90%) indicated that their professors gave them the full two hours and 50 minutes allotted to complete their final exam. • More than half the students (63%), across all levels, indicated that they did not need all the time. • More students from the School of Engineering (54%) did use the full time • Most of the faculty (87%) felt that the time allotted for final exams was appropriate. • Thirty five (25%) commented that the amount of time allotted for exams was too long, • Four (3%) commented that there was not enough time.