Students' course grades consisted of summed scores from three exams (75% of their grade) and so-called in-class quizzes (25%). Course exams consisted of multiple choice, matching, short problem, and interpretation (often from computer output or research descriptions that I provided) items. With the exception of the short problem items, my exams assessed conceptual understanding and so were considered quite difficult, even by students who performed well on them. Unlike the other three kinds of items, the short problem items were similar (but not identical) to assigned homework problems. The students who actually did the assigned work usually performed well on these items. Those students who did not do the assigned work did well if they understood the concepts needed for the items; if not, they performed poorly.

I tried both take-home and in-class exams and quickly settled on in-class tests. Because of my students' full lives, many did not have the time needed to complete a take-home exam in a short time period. Also, I could not determine how to keep some of the students from "sharing" too much on take-home exams.

My exams were power tests. I tried to design the exams so that everyone had ample time to complete them. I officially extended the class period for an extra 30 minutes on exam days, but I gave students as much time as they wanted. The extra time was especially important for students from other countries whose primary languages were not English.

I also used "in-class quizzes" to assess my students' understanding. I assigned homework (short mastery items that were conceptual, usual problems that required students to "work out" the answers, and computer runs). The answers to the first two types of items were found in the text I used. About four times each semester, I would collect selected aspects of this assigned work and grade it. The students were required to hand in their work immediately during the class period when I called for it (hence the name of "in-class quizzes"). To receive credit for correct answers, students were required to show their reasoning and their work. Students could work together on their homework as long as they did not directly "copy" another's work. This process allowed me to reward students who were doing their work and correct their misconceptions without overwhelming myself with grading papers.

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