Requirements, Format, and Submission:
First, let’s begin with the mechanics of the exam. This exam will take place on eClass. You will have four days to complete it. I have broken this section down into a series of questions for ease of reading.
When is it? Please check the course outline. The exam is scheduled during the exam period. Once the exam opens on the date specified in eclass, you will have several days to complete the final exam.
How do I complete the exam? The exam will be written in eClass. That said, you are encouraged to draft your short answer responses in a Google document to avoid any technical difficulties. At the very least, save your work on eClass often!
What is the format?
The exam will be open-book, consisting of a mix of tasks (may include multiple choice, definitions of concepts, short answer, essay questions and similar).
Details will become available closer to the exam date.
You will engage in analysis and synthesis of content across different modules. This means you will not be just summarizing information you’ve learned. Rather, you will have to think, apply your ideas to different questions and examples, and show how the different big ideas, concepts, and theories relate to each other.
It is vital that you demonstrate familiarity with the assigned course resources and ability to write analytically about them. Additionally you can draw on lessons and lectures and any other course materials, but not outside sources. On eclass, course resources are listed with each module. Each module has a dedicated section with assigned course readings:
Do I have access to my notes? Yes, the final exam is open book, so you do not need to download any sneaky spying software. We won’t need to watch you write your exam! You have access to the wgs102.org website, your notes, and all materials on eClass.
How do I prepare? Your and your peers’ discussion posts have been designed to help you prepare for the final exam. This review module is also designed to help you prepare.
Why is this exam format and schedule different than my other courses? Because this is an online course, this course does not have a meeting schedule. This means that this exam is not scheduled by the registrar’s office.
How long will it take me? The time it takes you to complete the exam will depend on your individual learning needs and how prepared you feel. Like an exam where you all sit in the same room, some of you will be faster, and some will need more time. You might choose to write it in blocks of 45 min each, or one question at a time. Do what works for you. Because this is a take-home, open-book exam, you may find yourself thinking about your responses to your questions when you are out for a walk, or making breakfast. As such, it is difficult to estimate a precise timeline. Someone who has read everything and taken careful notes may spend less time planning their responses, compared to someone who finds they need to review the assigned resources or reread some lessons.
When it comes to the time actually spent writing, I recommend you do not spend more than 6 hours. More time is not necessarily to your advantage, and I would resist the urge to spend all of your time on this to the neglect of your other courses. If you’re well-prepared and have taken notes as suggested early on in this class, it is possible to write the exam in 3-4 hours.
What if I have 4 other exams during the same week? All of you will be completing multiple exams during the final exam period. You have several days to complete the exam. This will accommodate various schedules as well as any accommodations and enable you to schedule your time to work on the exam.
What if I work during the final exam period? I know how stressful it is to work when you are going to school! Let your employer know that you are writing final exams during this period. Try to make sure you have enough time set aside to complete this exam. If anything is preventing you from completing the exam, please communicate with us.
What if I have accommodation needs? This exam is designed to accommodate all folks who have documented accessibility concerns, including time multipliers. But please set up an office hours appointment with me ASAP if you are concerned that this format is not accessible for you or if you are concerned you will not be able to complete the exam in the timeframe allotted.
What if something happens and I can’t write the exam? If there are extenuating circumstances that prevent you from writing or finishing the exam, you must let me know immediately. You will probably need to apply for a deferred exam and an IN (incomplete) grade through your faculty.
What if I have further questions, in advance or during the exam period? Please post any questions you may have in the exam forum on eclass. That way, everybody in class has access to the same information. Please only email me, if you have questions of a personal nature.
VIDEO: Final Exam Tips
(Please note that this video is from 2020; so the dates Daisy mentions do not apply this year. But the tips are just as helpful this term as they were then. For the dates this term, see the ‘Final Exam’ tab on eClass.)
Review: Key Course Concepts and Big Ideas
You should be able to explain each of the big ideas from the course. A good explanation offers a broad overview, followed by a more in-depth explanation that refers to lessons and assigned resources. Offering a ‘real world’ example will strengthen your explanation. It is not enough to offer one or two sentences when defining a ‘big idea’ or key concept — you should elaborate in some depth. Review the big idea lessons and the readings to help you explain each big idea. If you head over to the “Big Idea Challenge” page, you will find some exceptional responses to the Big Idea Challenges to help refresh your memory about each big idea.
Also important are other key concepts that are part of the learning objectives of each module. These are usually elaborated on in the assigned resources. Try weaving in relevant concepts. (You can find a list of some of the most relevant course concepts here.)
For example, when discussing disability justice, you might want to discuss the difference between disability and impairment, explain the use of “disabled” versus first person language use, outline the different models of disability, define the terms ableism and “supercrip” by referencing lessons, lectures, and course resources.
Or, when discussing ecofeminism, you want to weave and explain course concepts such as environmental racism, naturism, environmental reproductive justice or human-centred environmentalism – as explained in our course resources, lessons, and lectures.
Please do not use definitions or explanations from sources outside of this course. The exam is about synthesizing your learning in this course. Exams help you to focus on the takeaways of your term’s work.
Assigned Resources: Review
Before the final exam opens, identify any modules that feel less familiar to you. Perhaps there was a module you had to read really quickly because you were busy with midterms, or you got sick during the semester and missed a few things. Start by reviewing the lessons for those few modules again, and make sure you review the assigned resources. Go over the learning objectives of each module and see if you can explain key terms. You may also find it helpful to review your group’s discussion posts from that module.