11B What Makes a Good College-Level Question?

After doing these exercises both in class and for our blogs this week, I definitely think that when it comes time for me to take tests; I will feel more prepared because I have learned how to better anticipate the test questions. I think what was hard about adjusting to the way the questions are being asked on tests was because I was so used the way that they were in high school. Here in college, the questions aren’t just about summarizing what you read anymore, now they are about being able to analyze and synthesize the information that you just read, and the questions test your ability to apply that information as well. Now that I know what types of questions are being asked, it can make studying for the tests that much easier. If I know that the test is going to be formatted as an opened-ended response or have short answers, I can anticipate the questions before I even take the quiz. While I’m reading, if I find something that is important, instead of just writing it down, I can take that information and turn it into a type of question that I am likely to see on a possible quiz or test.

Our blog B assignment for this week was to read our classmates responses to their own college-level questions, and chose which students provided the best answers to those questions. One blog that I think really has hit the nail on the head when it comes to both college-level questions and answers was by Paige Slack http://paige2017.blogspot.com/2013/11/11a-inquiry-based-questions.html. The question that she chose to go more in depth was, what are ways college students can cultivate more creativity? How can this be important for their future? I think this a great question because it deals with the readings, but it is asking you to take the information that you read and not summarize, but rather to apply it. Paige’s answer to this question was also top quality because she responded to both of the questions that were being asked, but she also brought in examples from the readings, but most of it is her own words and opinions and I think that is really important if you want to have a strong answer on your test or quiz.