The everyday blog of Richard Bartle.
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5:07pm on Thursday, 4th January, 2018:
Anecdote
I spent today and yesterday writing examination questions. The examinations aren't until May/June, but we have to have them finished by January 15th.
I have six papers to write: main paper and resit paper for my MSc, year 2 BSc and year 3 BSc modules. I may be able to get away with 5 if the MSc paper from last year wasn't used, but I'm not optimistic. Even if it wasn't, it may be available as a past paper.
It takes me a day or more to write each question paper and provide model answers. I started at 8am this morning and finished the CE217 resit paper just now at 5pm. I have other stuff to do tomorrow, but will try to fill out all the forms and get the papers themselves to whoever's checking them to make sure I'm not being unduly harsh/lenient, and to spot any errors in langauge or arithmetic. Oh, they also check that what I'm asking is actually on the syllabus.
I still have four questions to write next week. It's going to be tough, but I'm hopeful it's doable despite all the other things that have to be done next week (some of which I undoubtedly won't be told of until next week). I would have started on them before Christmas if I hadn't been marking PhD assessments and reading research papers I don't understand on optimisation.
All of this explains why, when the revision lectures come round in April and students probe me to find out what's in the exam, I can honestly tell them I haven't a clue as I set the questions so long ago I've forgotten.
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Copyright © 2018 Richard Bartle (richard@mud.co.uk).