EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS USE CLUES TO HELP IN MATHEMATICAL/STATISTICAL TESTS

Abstract

Imagine you are in the world of Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, you do not glance upon a crime scene and with your very next breath reveal the perpetrator and motive to the police authorities who are scrutinizing each word and gesture. Students, no matter how well equipped with knowledge and pressure of test conditions, encounter this situation where they will read an unseen mathematical question in a test or examination. Students are expected within a few seconds to comprehend the context; follow a correct protocol and conclude with a logical solution that will be graded by the instructor. Unfortunately, not all students can perform well under such intense pressure, so Curtin College in Stage One Mathematics has introduced a scheme where a hint or clue can be exchanged for the allocated marks for that part of the question. Anxiety can affect students who consequently may be unable to write a solution befitting their level of knowledge, even with a sheet of notes under timed test conditions. Using Bloom’s and SOLO taxonomy, this paper will endeavor to illustrate the use of ‘clue giving’ under no time limits may benefit both students and educators learning experience.