Essay
Exams
Testing
your knowledge using just short regularly scheduled quizzes
and multiple-choice exams is a challenging task for an instructor.
Interpretation of facts and demonstration of understanding
usually requires that you express your ideas in writing.
As a result, instructors may require you to take one or
more in-class essay exam that may involve short-essay identifications
or long essays.
A.
Shorter In-Class Essays
B.
Longer In-Class Essays
C.
Take Home Essays (Thought Papers)
D.
Sample Assignments/Instructions
A.
Shorter In-Class Essays
Typically, short-essay identifications require you to define
a term or concept and briefly discuss its significance.
-
You should try to be concise (to the point) and direct
in your answer. In assigning a task like this, instructors
want to determine if you can define (describe, name or
identify a person, place, event) the term (word, expression,
phrase). In addition, they want to know if you are familiar
enough with the term to explain its significance (why
it is important) in relation to larger course themes and
topics.
-
Because
history is about time and place, professors will advise
students of their position on the use of absolute versus
approximate dates; generally, an answer should reference
time and place in some way.
-
Whenever
you are in doubt about any instruction given you should
ask the professor to clarify his expectations.
You
can explain (give details, describe) the significance of
a term in several ways:
-
Cite (refer to, name, quote) an example of how the term
was used in a particular lecture, video, or reading.
-
Provide
(offer, supply) an example of how the term is applied
in a particular historical context (background, framework).
-
Compare
(showing similarities) and/or contrast (differences) the
term with another concept (idea, thought, impression).
-
Analyze
(examine, investigate, evaluate) the idea’s meaning
in order to point out conceptual ambiguity (vagueness)
or multiple meanings depending on the context within which
the term is used.
Often you will find short identifications difficult to do
because you may have a problem settling on one concise definition,
or because you do not know the term well enough to give
a convincing statement about its significance. Take the
time to define your term and be sure to address who, what,
where, when and significance in your essay to get full credit.
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B. Longer In-Class Essays
Longer essay questions typically require you to respond
to a question(s) aimed at measuring their understanding
of course facts, theories and themes. Generally instructors
can determine how well you know the material. Instructors
base student success on whether students can respond to
the question by drawing on class readings, videos, and lectures.
Students who provide their own analysis (or independent
thinking) of course materials usually do better than those
who simply restate material presented through lectures or
in the readings. A longer in-class essay requires you to
balance a discussion of facts, theories, examples and analysis.
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C. Take Home Essays (Thought Papers)
Take home essays are comparable to longer in-class essays;
however, they typically require you to provide more in-depth
explanations because you have more time to answer the question(s).
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D. Sample Assignments/Instructions
In
all cases, be sure to follow the specific guidelines set
forth by your instructor.
1. Essay
Pay
particular attention to those emboldened words to use as
guides for instruction:
An
essay due on ___________ should not be shorter
than 3 but not longer than 4 printed double spaced pages.
The
essay has to focus on one of the following aspects
of European history: forms of government; religion; philosophy
and science; art and architecture, family life and the position
of women.
The
goal of the essay is to trace and explain
change in three consecutive historical periods.
In
order to understand what is meant by a historical period,
students have to examine the titles and the periods
covered by the video lectures as well as by chapters
in the Course Reader.
The
essay may cover any three consecutive periods from video
lecture # ___ to # ___.
In
your essay you have to describe how things were during
the period chosen as the first; explain how and
why they changed in the next two periods.
The
essay has to be based on information contained in the
textbook, the video lectures, and the reader.
On
the last page of the essay should be a bibliography of the
sources used.
Use
parenthetical citations for the essay. This meant
that you have to put the name of your source and the page
number in parenthesis after the cited sentence or short
paragraph.
Examples:
Women
played an important role in the monastic missionary
movement and the conversion of the Germanic kingdoms.
(Spielvogel, 139).
The
dowry was an important part of marriage arrangements
during the Renaissance and in Alberti’s opinion
it was better to be “certain and prompt rather
than large, vague, or promised for an indefinite future”.
(Reader, Alberti, 150.
The
Industrial Revolution had a strong impact on family
life – divorce rates rose steadily, birthrates
declined but at the same time a new ideology about the
family was created. (Stern, Video Lecture No. 8).
2.
Essay Exam
Please answer one of the following questions. (Two questions
are provided from which to choose).
The examination is an essay exam. This type of exam allows
you to do your very best writing because it is expected that
you will have the time to think about the question, use notes
taken for the video lectures and class discussion, and materials
from the textbook and reader.
The
goal of this kind of test is for you to demonstrate that you
understand the question and are able to synthesize (or integrate)
the information in a coherent and readable form.
Essay
should have a paragraph that introduces your main points.
The
body of the essay details the reasons stated in the introduction.
The
conclusion sums up earlier points.
Be
sure to answer the question asked. These essays call for
specific information but NOT a laundry list of everything
possible and remotely connected with the topic.
Re-read
the essay for grammar and spelling.
Type
and double-space the essay.
Due
in class (hard-copy only, do not send as an e-mail attachment)
on _________.
If
short quotes or paraphrases are used, please cite the source
(page from text or reader or video).
The
essay should be between 4-6 pages in length.
3. Short Writing Assignment
Clearly
state and then sustain a strong central argument
throughout each answer. In addition to information presented
in class, also incorporate information from the textbook,
course reader, and reserve readings as evidence to support
your argument.
When
referring to these assigned readings please provide adequate
citations in your paper such as [Spence, p. 405] or [Ebrey,
"Peasants in the Cities," p. 489], but paraphrase
or summarize as much as possible and avoid long quotations.
A
few short quotations may be appropriate and effective.
Each
essay should be approximately 5 pages in length,
double-spaced, and typed using regular font (12 point)
and margins (1 inch on all sides).
Paginate
(number) and staple each essay before handing it
in.
Instructor
will read no more than 6 pages for each essay (12 pages
total).
Answers
will be graded on the basis of: (1) the degree to which
they demonstrate an understanding of information presented
in class and in assigned readings; and (2) the thoughtfulness,
persuasiveness and clarity of their arguments.
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