Working Smart—Strategies for Difficult Exams

Most students give away a half a letter grade by not showing all that they know on tests, particularly those requiring problem solving skills.  It’s worth a few minutes to improve the strategy to do well.  Here are some suggestions.

Just pick one or two that is appropriate for you to keep in mind.

 

 

Take a deep breath before beginning in order to calm your mind. Racing forward in the first few minutes can lead to careless errors that are difficult to identify and correct.

Preview the test before you answer anything. This gets you thinking about the material. Make sure to note the point value of each question. Quickly estimate how much time you should allow for each section according to the point value. This preview should only take a minute or two.

Read the directions Never assume that you know what the directions say.

Underline with a pencil what you are asked to do. This will force you to focus on the answer.

Keep track of the time and progress during the test.

Answer the easy questions first. This will give you the confidence and momentum to get through the rest of the test. You are sure these answers are correct.

Go back to the difficult questions. While looking over the test and doing the easy questions, your subconscious mind will have been working on the answers to the harder ones. For problems with multiple parts (i.e. a, b,c,d), and use the earlier sections for hints to solve the later parts.

Answer all questions.  

Avoid careless errors—Think before you start writing.  When the writing starts on the wrong track, it is very difficult and time consuming to rethink the problem and start over.

Review the test carefully, especially the easy questions.

Use all of the time allotted for the test.

Show all your work (especially when partial credit is awarded) and write as legibly as possible.

 

 

Teaching Problem Solving to Students—Using Tools and Resources

If the problem at hand is to drive a nail into a board, you need a hammer. The right tool and it’s a simple matter. Without it, you can’t get the job done. Worse, if you don’t know that you need a hammer, there is just a nail, a board, and increasing frustration.

 

Problem solving also requires the use of the appropriate tools to make progress. For straightforward problems, the use of tools is often not noticed. It’s when students begin to tackle more complex problems, that it is necessary to explicitly use tools and resources. For some students, it’s a habit that has to be learned.

Tools are personal skills that can be applied to the problem at hand. Examples are mathematics, the scientific method, previous experience, and analytical insight.

Resources are people, materials, and information that can be found and made available for use. Resources often take the form of expertise that can be sought out for a specific need.

The difficult teaching part is to help the students recognize that specific skills or information are needed in order to resolve more complex problems. There is an irresistible temptation to plunge right into the problem or project. It is like trying to drive the nail without a hammer. The students quickly get mired and never really get back to putting full effort into it. The problem solving approach is replaced by a hope that the problem will solve itself.

This is the time for the teacher to take a step back with the student and identify what tool or resource must be applied to the problem. A valuable exploratory question:

“What else do I need to solve this problem?”

This question interrupts the drive to jump into the trying to work out a solution. It introduces the idea that something essential may not be available at the beginning of the problem.

“What else?” is an exploration that ultimately makes the solving the problem possible. However, there is a tendency to provide a general answer to this type of question. The student should be encouraged to get the detail needed so that an action can actually be taken.

Referring to the initial example with the board and nail: An answer of “something to hit the nail with” is moving in the right direction to work on the problem, but it is not quite enough. “Hammer” increases the detail to a level in which the task can get done.

The question also reinforces the idea that additional tools may be required for complex problems and that it is part of the job to identify and use it. Then, appropriately equipped, the student can go back to the problem as it was stated.

Finally, reinforce the use of tools/resources and emphasize that is the general method to keep in mind for future problems.

 A related article is Teaching Problem Solving to Students–The Cycle of Confusion/Resourcefulness/Confidence.

Teaching Students Problem Solving— Goal and Strategy

At some time, often as early as middle school, the complexity of school activities ratchets up a notch. Simple reading assignments are replaced by projects requiring multiple steps such as a paper requiring research. Clubs begin taking on more involved projects. There is a transition here and just a little guidance about problem statements and strategy can go a long way toward making it successfully. A problem statement, strategy plan, and a method to stay on track can help students to manage larger problems and projects.

State the Problem/Goal

Often, the goal is clear to everyone and stating it seems to be unnecessary. Sometimes though, there is a misunderstanding about the problem or goal. Any confusion on this point can lead to wasted time and work leading to an unsuccessful project. A key question to answer:

“What does a successful project look like?”

As simple as it sounds, take the time to answer this question and state the desired result clearly. The student should be able to visualize the finished product. The goal must be a quantifiable, physical fact.

The expected date of completion should also be included. If it is a group project, write it down so that everyone can agree.

Make a Strategy Plan

For a project with multiple steps, a plan that the student has made himself can help to keep the work on track. The strategy plan outlines a roadmap for the project or problem solving activity. The strategy is written down before the actual work begins. Once the plan is made, there must be an intention to follow it.

 

Two questions that can guide making the plan are:

“What are the steps required to complete the project?”

“Why is this action being done?”

The plan essentially allows a big project to be reduced to a sequence of smaller tasks, each of which can be done by the student. The progress of the work can also be checked against the plan.

For example, if the assignment is to write a paper about the pyramids. The goal statement may be the subject of the paper, the length, the number of references required, the format, and the due date. A strategy plan could include the sources for the research, the completion date for the research, analysis of the research, and submission of the first draft.

Expect Changes—Stay on Track

Not even the simplest project follows the plan. Changes are not a big deal if they changes get things moving back in the direction of the stated goal.

The original plan provides a basis for making these changes. The overall question is the similar:

“Why is this change needed?”

“How is it related to reaching the goal?”

One risk with changes is the student can lose sight of the goal and drift off in some other direction. These questions can help to focus the child on the reason for doing the work in the first place. A reality check keeps the work on track.

 

With a little experience, this framework of a problem statement, a strategy plan, and method to stay on track can be used intuitively on other projects.

related articles are: Teaching Problem Solving to Children-The Cycle of Confusion/Resourcefulness/Confidence and Teaching Problem Solving to Students–Tools and Resources 

 

Teaching Students Problem Solving—The Cycle of Confusion/ Resourcefulness/Confidence

 

“I am completely lost and do not understand this at all!”

 

Who among us has not let out this wail when wrestling with computers? We have all been confronted with a seemingly insoluble problem in the operation of a computer. These problems appear unpredictably in different areas—software bugs, network connections, hardware failures, and viruses to name a few. The initial situation appears dire, but over time, individuals find ways to resolve the issues and get back into operation. These methods may include trial and error, consulting friends and vendors, or even looking at the instructions. Confusion, resourcefulness, and confidence all come into play.

Resourcefulness and confidence are important traits that can be learned to develop more proficient problem solving skills. However, since the immediate focus is usually on the content of the problem (Get that computer working!) many people, especially children, are unaware of this cycle role in the problem solving process. These traits can best be discussed when there is no immediate crisis.

Confusion
Problems, by their very nature, often present ambiguous, frustrating situations. Confusion is a normal reaction and often arises early in the problem solving process. If confusion is unexpected and disorienting, the ability to work on effectively solve the problem diminishes. When people are not comfortable with confusion, emotional flashpoints often erupt.

One way to recognize the negative effects of confusion is by a lack of specificity in the complaint. (“I am completely lost. or “I don’t know anything about this.”)

In teaching problem solving, emphasize that confusion is a natural part of the problem solving process. Plan for it. The first step develop an awareness that being confused is expected and not a big deal. Then, the direction is to accept and become comfortable with the ambiguity of the situation so that the focus can be on working on problem itself. Teach students to recognize the emotional component of confusion, and to take the time to let the emotions settle so that they are able to work at their best ability.

Resourcefulness
Resourcefulness is the capacity to find new approaches when earlier paths are blocked. The direction is to show the child a way to allow the energy of confusion to be used in an effectively. An excellent first step is to interrupt the reinforcing action of the confusion. The most common method is to take the time to propose alternative ideas.

Typical questions that can help redirect the energy to new options:

“Can the problem be restated in a different way?”

“What do I know about this subject?”

“Who may know more about this than me?”

The questions may only take a few minutes to consider. However, it is also an important step to begin to identify other paths and different ways of seeing the problem. New possibilities for thinking about the problem can open up. The confusion doesn’t necessarily end, but the hold on the mental functions is weakened.

Building Confidence

Use personal examples from their own experience of confusing problems that they resolved. Talk through the steps in detail. Highlight the ways that the options were expanded. Although this approach may appear obvious, children do not always recognize their own process of learning.

Returning to the example with computers: Young people especially have confidence in their computing ability. Often, they have developed more proficiency in computers than their parents. Take a specific example of a problem they have resolved. Explore with them how they felt when the problem surfaced, how their understanding grew, what operating problems they faced, how they overcame them and their increased skill by confronting and solving the problem. This exercise introduces the ideas of confusion, resourcefulness and confidence in a way that they have experienced. They can see this for themselves. As confidence grows, so do the problem solving skills.

Finally, emphasize that the skills are theirs and can be applied to other subjects—like math!

Related articles are: Teaching Problem Solving toStudents–Goals and Strategy
and Teaching Problem Solving to Students–Tools and Resources

or Strategies for Difficult Exams