I am thinking about giving an oral exam in my Employment Law class. I have a small class (three students), so I think it would work well. Plus, it would be interesting to see if they can think on their feet. I would tell the class what chapters and topics will be covered. No notes or outlines will be permitted. It would kind of be like an interview in which I will ask them about different topics, either by explaining a particular concept or asking them to respond to a hypothetical.
Have any of you used an oral exam for your content area? Do you have any comments or suggestions for me? Also, my college is big on rubrics (I hate rubrics), so if you have one, could I "borrow" it?
4 comments:
I haven't given any, but I've certainly taken quite a few. I don't mind them - in some cases I've preferred them. One thing I liked was that I could be questioned about certain aspects of a response, which would then help me recalibrate my answer/response in a desirable way. I also liked having the opportunity to ask questions back (to clarify what exactly is being asked of me, to help me choose which aspect of an issue to expand on, etc.). I'm somewhat interactive learner, though. I know other people who are absolutely terrified of these things. But, the same holds true for written exams, I suspect (although I tend to perform well on those too - I'm lucky that way).
i am a huge proponent of oral exams.
i wish i had a rubric to share with you, but i don't, as it's hard to use in large classes...
i say go for it!
Personally, the thought of an oral exam would freak me out. But, given your area it's probably a good time for students to learn to think on their feet before going on to become lawyers.
Ugh! The rubric obsession.
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