By Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.
Online courses require students to demonstrate that they've achieved learning objectives in a number of ways. In some cases, you'll be asked to take online quizzes that show that you are able to identify concepts and master the content. In other occasions, you will need to conduct online research in order to write a research paper that shows an in-depth understanding of the topic or a problem related to the course. In yet other cases, you'll be asked to…
Review the question.
Make sure that you understand the question.
Reread the question and pause a moment to reflect.
Jot down the main concept.
What is the concept that the question is testing? How does it relate to the course, and what it's testing?
Review the question again — what exactly is it asking?
What kind of information do you need to provide?
How can you succinctly demonstrate your understanding?
Which specific details ad information should you provide?
Keep in mind that you may be graded on the specific information in the instructional material.
Include dates, names, place names, people, and texts.
Consider the material you've reviewed in the course.
Think of the connections between the question and the material you've covered.
Narrow your focus and eliminate material that takes you on an unproductive path.
Response-centered notes:
Jot down the key idea.
Make a bullet list of evidence and examples.
Do not be in to great a hurry to write your paragraph.
Remember that precision is important, as well as being concise.
Wordy, vague, and imprecise answers will not yield a good grade.
Start to formulate answers.
As you do so, you might follow the steps listed below.
Main idea: Be sure to create a clear thesis statement that includes the main idea.
Evidence: List the evidence to support your thesis or main idea.
Be sure to discuss how the evidence supports it.
Organize your thoughts clearly:
Create a logical arrangement and presentation of the data.
Do not jumble unimportant with important information.
Clear, short sentences:
When possible, make sure your sentences are clear.
If they are short, it is often easier for the instructor to assess them.
Make sure your sentences are grammatically correct sentences.
Conclusion:
Make sure your conclusion is clear and that it relates to your main idea.
Make sure it connects to the thesis and the evidence.
Please be sure to remember that your conclusion should advance the primary argument.
Before you take the test, be sure to practice by formulating possible questions and answers. Try to take a practice in exam in more or less the same conditions under which you'll be taking your primary exam. After you take the practice exam, look at your answers and evaluate them for clarity of the thesis and main idea, thoroughness, relevance, evidenciary support for the primary thesis, and solid conclusion. Return to the text and your instructional materials to make sure that you're not overlooking something, and to include only the most relevant information, and be sure that it is arranged in order of importance.
Short answer exams can be challenging, particularly when you are working with extreme time pressure and in harsh conditions. However, the short answer exams are perhaps the best place to demonstrate your grasp of the concepts as well as a deeper understanding that allows you to synthesize information and to relate it to current issues or personal experience.