Exams

tl;dr

(too long; didn’t read)

  • Exams consist of 4 questions; all questions can be resubmitted for revisions
  • All work must be in your own words
  • All course content is allowed during exams
  • Collaboration in class / Zoom discussion is allowed; collaboration elsewhere is not permitted
  • Submitting questions to / using answers from websites like Chegg or Coursehero is a copyright violation and academic dishonesty

Overview

Exams will cover the content found in the reading, textbook questions, application questions, and synthesis questions. Exams are written assessments that will follow the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning format. Although the application and synthesis question assignments do not have strict deadlines, it will be required to submit these assignments in order for the exam to open.

Exams will each cover 2 weeks of material and will not be cumulative (but note that material will build on previous content, so knowledge gained in earlier units cannot be forgotten). Exam will consists of Claim-Evidence-Reasoning questions and short answer questions. Claim-Evidence-Reasoning questions can be revised after instructor feedback. 

All course materials (e.g., textbook, problem sets, notes) can be used during the exams.

Tutoring Websites (ex: Chegg, Course Hero, etc..)

Using “tutoring” websites like (but not limited to) Chegg or Course Hero is not allowed in this course.

Posting of material is not permitted. The course assignments are my intellectual property, and I do not give permission for others to share outside of this course. Please note these sites take advantage of students and faculty. Although I can request to have my work taken down from public view, the companies keep my work for their own purposes forever.

Using answers from these sites is not permitted. To date, I have yet to see a correct answer posted on one of these sites because the “experts” answering have no reference to the course content or what I expect as the instructor.

Please don’t violate this policy. I start every semester by trusting my students, and I have designed this course to be flexible and provide multiple opportunities to show learning (ex: revisions). If you feel you are in need of using a “tutoring” website, please reach out to me. We can work through whatever you are struggling with. 

Academic Responsibility

It is the responsibility of each student to generate original work for all assignments. This means all submitted work must be in your own words. Plagiarizing from any of, but not limited to, the internet, readings, videos, popular press articles, other students, and/or research articles is grounds for receiving a zero for that assignment. IMPORTANT: This means that even though you are working collaboratively, the work you submit must be in your own words. Please see Course Policies for more information.

What collaboration is allowed on NEU 300 exams?

Collaboration is allowed in the class discussion. Collaboration outside of these spaces is prohibited. This means discussion of exam questions outside of class (i.e., study groups outside of class) or online (i.e., on GroupMe or other social site) needs to be avoided. Take advantage of the collaboration space provided to you in class.

Collaboration is meant to be a learning experience, not a time to simply share answers. Work together. Submitting the same answers (or almost the exact same answers with a few words changed) is not permitted. All exam answers must be in your own words.

What resources are allowed on NEU 300 exams?

All course materials can be used during exams. This includes the textbook, assignments, videos, and your own notes. Please do not use general internet searches for the exams. I teach in a specific way, and often these sites will not help your responses. I teach neuroscience at a “foundational” level for this class, but, of course, many topics are much more complex than we get into. You are likely to find content on the internet that does not exactly align with course material.

Additionally, using websites like Chegg, CourseHero, or ChatGPT is prohibited. 

What is the outcome of academic misconduct?

If a student violates the academic integrity expectations, they will need to meet with Dr. Henley to discuss the situation, receive a penalty grade for the assignment on which misconduct was found, and receive an academic dishonesty report (ADR) through the university.

Learning Reflections

One of the best study techniques to learn is metacognition, or the practice of being aware and reflecting on your own thinking and learning. The reflections will ask you to evaluate your work preparing for and performance on the Synthesis Questions.

It is expected that students will complete the reflections and submit them on time. 

Suggested Work Schedule

  • Tuesday: Attend class to collaborate on an introductory version of questions 1-3
  • Wednesday: Questions open on D2L. Work on the exam questions alone. Prepare answers and questions for a useful class on Thursday.
  • Thursday: Attend class to discuss exam questions with teaching team; this is a time for individual work. Submit exam. 

Why this Structure?

Why is the exam structured this way? Two reasons:

Learning how to form an argument based on data is a critical skill all scientists should have. It is the foundation for all research. It is a component of everything from basic science literacy to diagnosing a patient.

Scientists are not independent, isolated professionals. Everything we do, we collaborate. Lab groups design and complete research projects; medical teams diagnose and tend to patients; teachers design and share curriculum to best serve students; all scientists share ideas and findings at conferences or in journals. Collaboration is an important component of succeeding as a scientist.

The goal of the exams is to give students a simplified example of real life work.