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TAM 212 Midterm Exam Results & Discussion. Midterm Score Statistics. Mean: 71.6 Median: 72 Mode: 75 Maximum: 95.5 Standard Deviation: 13.0. Midterm Survey Results. Question #1. Question #2. Question #3. Question #4. Midterm Survey Comments. On being told what to study.
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Midterm Score Statistics Mean: 71.6 Median: 72 Mode: 75 Maximum: 95.5 Standard Deviation: 13.0
On being told what to study • “There was not much warning on what the free response was going to be on.” • “The exam was not extremely difficult, however I feel like we could have been told what to study a little bit more. I spent one week studying, but I would have been able to study a little bit better if I would have been informed of what the free response was going to include.”
On having to use a calculator • “Some questions (unit conversion/the last question) just seem to test our ability to use a calculator. Not fun!” • “I just think there are too many pure calculations (like the last question). I’m not good at using a calculator. For me, I prefer more diverse questions testing the material we learn. I think the question can be hard in a way that we need to try hard to find the correct way/method rather than the correct result/number.” • “The last question on center of mass was ridiculous. This is an elementary problem of just plugging numbers into a calculator. I was disappointed with the last question, because one minor slip of a number on the calculator messes it up. In real life, that’s what Excel is for.”
On material not being covered • “I thought the free response were not things that were thoroughly covered in lecture.” • “The question where it wanted you to set up the equation with simply the variables was a derivation type of question and I believe it was extremely difficult. I’m not sure if we did anything similar to that ever before.”
When the material was covered • #11. Newton’s laws of motion • June 23, 24, and 25 • #12. Projectile motion • June 24 and 25 • June 30 (Worksheet #3) • July 9 (Worksheet #5) • #13. Finite systems of particles • July 7
On the practice midterm • “Exam was nothing like the practice exams.” • “I felt that the questions were fair, but they didn’t really match up with the practice midterm.” • “The questions aren’t exactly like the HWs, especially the free-response ones.”
Miscellaneous comments • “I didn’t like how the multiple choice options were intervals instead of exact answers.” • “Units of conversion SHOULD be included.” • “On PrairieLearn have a section where a practice problem has hints on how to do it. I personally believe it is more efficient for time management.”
Opportunities for improvement: • Become more comfortable with symbolic manipulation. • Become proficient at unit conversionsand carrying unitsthroughout a calculation. • Become better at numerical calculations, and in particular avoiding round-off error.
Final Exam • Same format as the midterm (MC + FR). • Will only specifically test material covered after the midterm (but as such will require knowledge of past material). • Will specifically test symbolic manipulation, unit conversions, and numerical calculations. • Can replace your midterm exam score if (and only if) it increases your final grade.