Word: exam
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First, Ojemann tested his patients' verbal intelligence using a written exam. Then, during neurosurgery -- which was performed under a local anesthetic -- he asked them to name aloud a series of objects found in a steady stream of black-and-white photos. Periodically, he touched different parts of the brain with an electrode that temporarily blocked the activity of that region. (This does not hurt because the brain has no sense of pain.) By noting when his patients made mistakes, the surgeon was able to determine which sites were essential to naming...
Even the teachers' unions, with which Clinton has crossed swords, are signing on. "He's truly improved the schools," says Sandra Feldman of the United Federation of Teachers, who points to Arkansas' being the first state to require eighth-graders to pass a standardized exam before going on to high school -- a Clinton reform that helps explain why Arkansas now has the best high school graduation rate in the South. "Not a bad record to throw against the 'education President,' " says Feldman...
...course, self-scheduled exams don't provide completely free reign. They still impose strong restrictions. "Collaboration" would be no less detectable than for any other take home assignment. The time restrictions of having to return the exam in a few hours negates whole days spent on questions. Some potential for cheating would arise from students having the ability to look up things they forgot. But this ability is of limited utility for most exams, and could be made less useful for others. Basically, the determined cheater already has numerous options throughout the semester, and the additional opportunity here is only...
...real problem would be the possible leakage of exam questions. But this should be hindered by the idea of the curve: It is not to one's advantage to have others do better. But this area is really the core of an honor code and the prime example of University trust that people will respect the dignity of the academic process...
Ideally, students would rise to the occasion, as they have at other schools. If they don't, the system could be changed back the following semester. With the additional convenience and fairness, and the pleasing idea of an honor code, self-scheduled exams are really worth a try. Nobody is going to complain if we scrap the current nightmare of an exam system...