Abstract
Examination papers were analysed using a methodology based on Bloom’s Taxonomy to identify the cognitive skills required to complete questions and compare these to the cognition necessary for graduate skills. This research found that examinations access mainly mid to low-level cognition such as recall and apply, while competencies required by employers tend to need higher-level cognition such as synthesis and creation, which are not as commonly tested through examinations. This paper proposes that careful design of examination questions using different measurable verbs could be more effective at encouraging development of higher-level metacognitive skills in formal examinations.
Highlights
The core curriculum for undergraduate physics is well established (The Quality Assurance Agency, 2017), and is verified through an accreditation process by professional bodies, such as the Institute of Physics (IOP) in the UK (Institute of Physics, 2010).Assessment in Physics Higher Education is predominantly conducted by way of formal examinations, with many traditional physics modules relying on exam results to determine the majority of a grade (Fry et al, 2003)
Assessment in Physics Higher Education is predominantly conducted by way of formal examinations, with many traditional physics modules relying on exam results to determine the majority of a grade (Fry et al, 2003)
Two modules were taken from a University core physics curriculum and exam papers from 2016 and 2017 were analysed
Summary
Assessment in Physics Higher Education is predominantly conducted by way of formal examinations, with many traditional physics modules relying on exam results to determine the majority of a grade (Fry et al, 2003). It is reasonable to theorise that physics students have significantly developed the skills that are most useful in these formal examinations such as knowledge recall and application of knowledge. Students who view physics as a discipline of recall may develop a disconnected view of the subject, with consistency between ideas often coming from a learned cohesion that does not improve underlying understanding (Sikorski & Hammer, 2017). Fernandez (2017) determined that students trying to develop understanding independently do not improve their overall performance and can become frustrated
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