Final exams in writing-intensive courses are neither appropriate nor necessary. All they do is ensure that the professor WILL be sitting for hours on end grading writing that is not significantly different from the student's last paper, which was propbably handed in that same week.
That said, I believe that any time I give a student an opportunity to write, it's a good experience for them; however, timed writing is not always their best work, and it is seldom reflective of how they will be writing in the rest of their academic career. Putting students through timed writing exercises in a week when they are sleep-deprived and concerned about the four other exams they are taking doesn't reflect their true abilities.
I propose that the College of Liberal Arts, or whatever authority oversees this policy, make a change for the coming semester. I don't want to ignore University policy, but I don't want to do this fruitless grading exercise any more, either. And now that I am doing it for five classes, I REALLY would like to see it changed.
Mrs. B
That said, I believe that any time I give a student an opportunity to write, it's a good experience for them; however, timed writing is not always their best work, and it is seldom reflective of how they will be writing in the rest of their academic career. Putting students through timed writing exercises in a week when they are sleep-deprived and concerned about the four other exams they are taking doesn't reflect their true abilities.
I propose that the College of Liberal Arts, or whatever authority oversees this policy, make a change for the coming semester. I don't want to ignore University policy, but I don't want to do this fruitless grading exercise any more, either. And now that I am doing it for five classes, I REALLY would like to see it changed.
Mrs. B
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