February 17, 2014
Below is an email I submitted to Dean Nicol explaining my reasons for giving prepared written questions orally. Dean Nicol acknowledged seeing the email. He nor any other person at Cuttington responded to it.
Since I have never been told, seen in writing the reasons for my dismissal, or given the opportunity to explain my action, I can only surmise the reason is insubordination of the Dean's request to adhere to the University's final exam policy.
"19 January, 2014
Dear Dean Nicol,
Almost all questions
in life, personal and professional, are spoken. The listener is expected to
interpret and understand the questioner. The more important the question, the
more responsibility is placed on the listener to respond correctly. University
exams are one area where a person’s knowledge is directly tested. Yet since the
questions to these exams are rarely spoken, this critical listening skill in
life is rarely experienced or considered a part of a person’s education.
From the first day of
my classes at Cuttington, my teaching method centers on oral communication of
both the subject matter and the assessment of student’s comprehension. This
method comes from the need to teach complicated subject material without a
textbook, the desire to expose the students to a different teaching technique,
and for students to learn how to orally phrase scientific questions.
At each class a
student is selected at random to prepare a written list of ten questions on that
day’s material to be given to fellow students at the beginning of the next
class. The selected student then draws names of students at random to ask a
question from his/her prepared list. The student answers orally. This technique
gives experience to the student in asking the question and for the students
being asked. Students are exposed to questioners with varying styles of asking
questions and patterns of speech. Students are both eager to be questioners’
and seem better prepared to answer questions correctly in front of their
peers.
This technique also
provides the instructor with information which is hard to learn otherwise,
outside of an exam, namely what part of the previous lecture did the questioner
not understand. Omissions of lecture topics are good indicators that the
questioner and probably other students are having difficulty, for students only
ask questions of which they are sure of the answers. Students can be
coached on the exactitude of their questions and answers. This technique also
gives the instructor exposure to students who otherwise are quiet in the
classroom.
Asking prepared
questions orally during critical mid-term and final exams puts added pressure
on the instructor to make sure the questions are understood by the students.
Each question is repeated twice, repeated again or rephrased if necessary to
insure comprehension and obviate bad questions. This technique forces the
student to listen carefully to the question. Students are told to concentrate
on writing the answer not the question, although writing the question is not
prohibited. All answers are submitted in writing, not orally. Before the next
question is read, students are asked if they need more time. There is no time
limit on answering any question. A student may ask that a previous question be
repeated.
My experience is the
method of testing, especially on final exams, usually varies depending on the
number of students to be tested and the instructor’s direct participation. A
standardize written test given at the same time is a widely used method to
insure test integrity for courses with multiple sections and/or instructors. It
is rare this method of testing is done for upper level courses and for students
in a single section. Exams for upper level subjects and students are usually
left to the discretion of the instructor at major universities.
As to my reticence to
submit written questions by the university’s submission deadline and adhere to
the university’s written testing methods, all my efforts this entire
semester are based on asking written questions orally. My students have been
exposed to only written questions presented orally. They have studied and
prepared accordingly. A departure from this testing method undermines my
semester’s work to prepare them for the outside world of oral questions. To
their credit, they are ready to demonstrate their listening skills and subject
knowledge.
If submitting my
written questions is what you desire, I am happy to do so, although do not see
the point and may in fact increase the risk of premature exposure. I welcome
you or your designate to sit in during my final exams to see if my examination
method complies with the intent of university standards. If you so deem my
testing method of presenting written questions orally are substandard, I shall
be happy to conduct all my exams from questions given to students in writing
next semester.
I hope you take my
position as it is intended as a way to introduce new methods to Cuttington
students and not as a challenge to your responsibilities as dean.
Respectfully yours,
Dr. Nicholas Shuraleff "
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