Preparing for and Ansering Essay Questions

Student,

It is safe to say that tests are stressful and the least favorite part of school (besides Baked Cod in the dining hall). In order to overcome them you need to learn strategies to deal with them. The following "Instructional One-Pager" explains one such strategy.

Please read the following "Instructional One-Pager." Your assignment is to write a response to it: 1 page, double space, 1 inch margins, 12 point font.

Two paragraphs:
1st. Summary
2nd. Your Opinion

Strategy: Preparing for and Answering Essay Questions
Date: May 22, 2006
Grade Level: All
Content Area: Communications Skills/All

The following is a reprint from the Muskingum College Learning Strategies Database. This information can be found at: http://www.muskingum.edu/~cal/database/general/testtaking.html#General
The entire database, which includes a wealth of learning strategies (all areas), can be found at: http://www.muskingum.edu/~cal/database/

Essay tests are common in college-level courses, especially in the humanities and sciences. They allow instructors to test students' abilities in remembering, organizing, and evaluating information. Essays are considered relatively subjective questions, because there is no one specific answer that is correct. Though the instructor usually looks for certain points to be made in the answer, there are varying degrees of correctness. Sometimes instructors will accept as correct some answers that diverge from common interpretations, as long as the answers are logically and substantively supported.

The following strategies for taking essay tests are presented in the chronological order they should be used before and during the exam.

Pre-Test Preparation
Before the test, practice writing answers to sample essay questions. Make up your own questions, or consult the textbook or workbook for sample questions. Work with another student to write questions for each other. When answering sample essay questions, give yourself the same amount of time you will have during the actual test. Don't refer to your study materials when answering sample essays.
It is also important to find out before the test who will be grading the answers. If the instructor is grading the test, find out what types of answers he/she prefers. Does he/she look for facts, for ideas, or for supported interpretations? If someone other than the instructor, a teaching assistant for example, is grading the test, avoid reinterpreting concepts and presenting unpopular view points. Give lots of facts and examples instead.

Read the Directions Carefully
Many points on essay tests are lost because students fail to read the directions carefully. Pay attention to the following points when reading directions:
· Are you to answer every question or do you have choices?
· Where are you to write your answers: on the test, on lined paper, in a blue book?
· How are you to write your answers: skip a line, one side of page only, etc.?
· Is there a certain number of ideas you need to include?
· Are you supposed to write a certain amount of information: a few sentences, a paragraph, etc.?
· Are you supposed to include dates?
· Are you supposed to include examples?
· Are you supposed to include the names of important people?

Key words to look for in the directions are listed below (Kesselman-Turkel and Peterson, 1981, p. 102). Be sure to know what these words mean.
· synonym
· antonym
· none of
· similar to
· the same as
· all of
· the opposite of
· assume that
· if
· all but one
· only one correct choice

Budget Your Time
Decide how to divide all available time among the questions. Plan to spend more time on questions that count for more points; spend equal time on questions with the same point value. Allow time to check answers after completing all questions. For each question, allow half of the time for writing an outline and half for writing the answer.

Read All Questions Before Answering Them
Reading all the questions before answering them allows one's brain to begin processing information. Reading before answering is especially important when one has a choice of questions to answer.

Determine what information is given, what information is requested for the answer, and how you are to answer the question (e.g. compare, contrast, prove, summarize, etc.). Break down complex questions into smaller parts, numbering each to make sure all parts are answered. Jot down a few notes as you read each question. If you don't understand a question, ask the instructor for clarification.

Closely Examine Instructions for Directional Words
Essay questions often contain verbs asking students to do certain things with the information. Students must know what these words mean in order to provide the information that the instructor wants. The most commonly used directional words and their definitions are provided below. Be aware of variations on these words that are specific to certain instructors; not all instructors use the words in the same way. If unsure, ask the instructor for clarification.
· Analyze: Break the subject into its component parts and discuss each part (Lunenfeld and Lunenfeld, 1992).
· "Compare: Show how they are the same and how they differ.
· Contrast: Show how they differ.
· Criticize: Examine the pros and cons and give your judgment.
· Defend: Give details that prove it or show its value.
· Define: Just give the meaning.
· Describe: Give the details and examples that show what it is.
· Discuss and review: Examine from all angles. (These words are catchalls.

Depending on the teacher, they might mean trace, outline, describe, compare, list, explain, evaluate, defend, criticize, enumerate, summarize, or tell all you know about it.)
· Distinguish: Tell how this is different from others similar to it.
· Evaluate: Give your opinion as to the advantages and disadvantages.
· Explain and show: Show, in logical sequence, how or why something happened (or both).
· Illustrate: Give examples.
· Justify: Give the facts and then prove it's true.
· Name, list, tell, and enumerate: Give just the information that is specifically asked for.
· Prove: Show that it is true and that its opposite is false.
· Summarize and outline: Give the main points.
· Trace: Show how something developed step by step (usually chronologically)" (Kesselman-Turkel and Peterson, 1981, p. 101-102).

Pick a Title
Select a title for each essay answer. Titles help to keep one on track while writing the answers. In other words, titles help one avoid straying from the topic of the question and including irrelevant information. Each title should contain the following information: topic, point of view or approach, and boundaries (temporal, spatial) of the topic. For example, if the question asks "Compare and contrast British colonial policies in different parts of the world," the title to the answer might be "Similarities and Differences Between British Policies in Asian and African Colonies in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries."

Organize (Outline) the Answer
Good essay writers spend half of their time formulating an outline before answering a question. This may seem like a large investment of time, but outlining insures that each response is organized and answers the question asked. If one has prepared for the exam by reorganizing information or by making up and answering practice essay questions, the organizing process is completed ahead of time and precious testing time is saved.
Divide the outline into general points and specific details. The general points usually are taken from the information in the question, or one may restate the different parts of the question. The student supplies the specific details under the appropriate general points. If the essay questions had been anticipated, try to remember the outline you prepared before the exam.
Organize the main points of the outline. The structure chosen depends on the question and the discipline. Complete details on essay organization are given in the Writing and Proofreading page, but brief descriptions of five common methods of organization are given below (Kesselman-Turkel and Peterson, 1981, p. 103).
· Chronological Order - order of historical events, cause to effect, step-by-step sequence
· From General to Specific - general topic to subtopics, theoretical to practical, generalizations to specific examples
· From Least to Most - easiest to most difficult, smallest to largest, worst to best, weakest to strongest, least important to most important, least complicated to most complicated, least effective to most effective, least controversial to most controversial
· From Most to Least - most known to least known, most factual to least factual (fact to opinion)
· Giving Both Sides (Grouped or Interspersed) - pros and cons, assets and liabilities, similiarities and differences, hard and easy, bad and good, effective and ineffective, weak and strong, complicated and uncomplicated, controversial and uncontroversial

Remember that outlining is not the only way to organize information. One may choose to organize the main ideas and specific details for the essay in an alternate format, such as a herringbone map, a matrix or table, a hierarchy or array, a flow chart, or a spider map.

Get Active
Get actively involved in your essay, showing enthusiasm in your answer. Recall personal experiences related to the topic or exciting lectures, books and movies that interested you in the subject. While these won't be part of your answer, they help to get you in the right state of mind.

Write Methodically
Write your answer as if you were writing a mini term paper. Your answer should have a title, an introduction or topic statement, a body, and an ending or conclusion.
· Tips for selecting an appropriate title were discussed previously.
· Your topic statement can be a reworking of the title.
· The body should include at least one paragraph for each general point in your outline. Each paragraph in the body should begin with a general summary sentence, usually a complete sentence containing the information in the outline. Skip a line between paragraphs.
· Your ending can be a summary of the answer, a restatement of the topic sentence, or your interpretations or opinions. Do not introduce new information in the ending.

Use ample details and examples in the answer. Use clear labeling words, such as examples, comparisons, similarities, contrasts, differences, supports, arguments, reasons, most, probably, main point, exceptions, etc. Underline key words.
Think in three's: three paragraphs, three sentences per paragraph, three examples per main point, etc. Avoid one sentence paragraphs. Be direct and to the point.

Don't Waste Space
Although it's a good idea to skip lines between paragraphs, don't skip lines between sentences or use only one side of the paper unless told to do so. Avoid ornate or illegible handwriting that takes up a lot of room on the paper. Don't try to fill up extra test booklets by wasting space. Some graders interpret wasted space as a cover up for not knowing the material.

Check Your Work
You should have allotted time for checking your answers. For content, did you answer the question, and did you stick to your point of view? For organization, did you answer all parts of the question, and are paragraphs and sentences logically ordered? For writing, is your answer clear, is you writing legible, is your grammar correct, and is your punctuation correct?

If You Prepared for the Different Questions
Sometimes students anticipate that certain questions will be asked, but the test questions turn out to be different. When this happens, make sure you have completely answered the questions you do know. Then look for ambiguity in the questions you don't know, since lack of clarity may allow some leeway in your answer. Stretch what you do know about the topic by giving many examples and comparisons. Add less relevant information by linking it with general statements.

If You Run Out of Time
If you are running out of time and haven't yet answered all questions, write down the outlines and indicate that you ran out of time for that/those question(s). Some instructors will give partial credit for outlines.

Learning About Your Learning Disability

Having a Learning Disability is...
Confusing: definitely.
Fun: not so much.
Being in a constant state of flux and carrying more burden than most students: Fo’ Sho’

Communication Skills focuses on the learner. You (the student) must understand yourself before anything else. For example, in order to get higher grades on tests you have to understand how you study. In order to read better, you have to first learn how to read best. So this week’s Blog deals with understanding yourself better. I have found LD Online to be a great place for articles on the topic of learning and dealing and overcoming a Learning Disability.

Please visit the link below.

http://www.ldonline.org/ldbasics

Your assignment: Pick one article on the website that pertains to you and write a 1-page response. This may take time to search and look around the website. Please take your time: Part of your grade will depend on how relevant the article is.

Response
1st paragraph: summary
2nd paragraph: reflection:
How does it deal with me?
What did I learn?
Do I agree with what they are saying?

I can help you with finding an article during the week, but on the weekend you can only blame your procrastination for my lack of help.

Another Online Gem

Come one, come all and sign up for one of the most amazing educational tools on the web!

I think you might like this one, and this is me speaking as someone who has made probably over 3,000 note cards in his life time and not an educator.

Check out the link below:

http://quizlet.com/

Your homework assignment is to use this website for one of your other class's assignments (this week). I know some of you can use it for History, others for English vocabulary, others for Science terms, and others for all three. So no excuses!

Hop on the bandwagon!