Thursday, May 21, 2011

Exam 1 given in class today.

Announcements:

• Exam 1 scores for the multiple-choice section should soon be available via the onyen or Connect Carolina websites.
• I will review the answers to this exam in class on Monday.
• Summary of results from MC section:
• Average =  62% (68% in 2009, 66% in 2008)
• Std. Dev. = 14%
• High =88% (100% in 2009, 92% in 2008)
• Low = 35%  (29% is expected score for random guessing)
• The total Exam 1 score will include 22 points for the graphing question after this has been graded.
• Keep in mind that this exam counts for only 15% of your overall course grade, and the lab, class participation, and homework scores tend to boost most students' scores.  However, the average student improvement on previous exams I have given is 0.2% and the maximum improvement was 13% averaged over the course of the semester, so this first exam score is a pretty good indicator of how you will do on future exams.
• Because the class average on this exam was somewhat lower than I expected, you have an opportunity to boost your grade and learn from your mistakes through Test Corrections:
• Provide written justification (preferably on your original test papers - use back sides or other paper as needed) to demonstrate that you understand each question you missed (or questions you happened to get right because you guessed correctly).
• Discuss your explanations with someone who understands at least as much physics as you do.  Have this person sign the following statement at the top of your test paper:  “I am convinced that [your name] fully understands the concepts and problem solutions for this exam.”  Signed ____________    
• Hopefully by discussing your answers with another person, you will better understand and remember the correct reasoning in case you are faced with a similar question on the final exam or later in life.
• Submit your original test papers with corrections by Wednesday, June 3 (the date of Exam2), and assuming that your explanations are all correct, 5 points will be added to your exam score.
• Answers to multiple-choice questions on Exam1 (version 101):
• Version 101:  B, C, B, A, C, A, B, D, C, B, A, B, B, B, C, A, C, C, B, B, A, A. B, A, B, C
• Version 102:  B, C, B, C, A, C, B, A, D, B, B, A, B, C, B, B, C, A, C, B, A, A, B, C, A, B
• Answer key for graphing question.