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J155 Assignments & Tests

Spring 2012 Final Exam

Overview

The midterms tested factual knowledge about the short stories and their authors. The final explores the student's ability to develop a clear image of each story's "non-discursive" components as discussed in this class via sound. It is not about sound specifically but rather the reason we considered sound: to explore the mood, ambiance, tone and other emotional components of the story.

The final has a pre-test day component: the making and submitting of a 30-second sound clip that represents the mood, etc., that the student imagines for the story assigned to that student.

The remainder of the test is during the final exam period. It involves listening to sound clips, identifying them, explaining one's choices for one's own sound clip, and perhaps another test segment not revealed until test day. It will take about two hours to complete the exam.

Final Exam, Step 1 (submitting a sound clip):

Email me a codename by the deadline, using "codename" as the keyword. I think it is best to avoid using a colon in the name, since I will use your codename as a file name and colon's corrupt file names on some systems.

Receive from me the story for which you need to make a sound file.

Email me a sound clip:

  • You are welcome to make more than one sound file, but one of them must be the story assigned. If you include additional files, please also tell me which stories they represent.
  • Select sound (hopefully music) to represent the emotional tone of the story you were assigned, or represent something else about the tone or atmosphere of the story. Students will be guessing your story so you should select something with that in mind. (However, whether students can or cannot guess your story is irrelevant to the grade.) So:
    • the sound clip needs to represent something important or dominant or prominent about the tone, ambiance, mood, or other aspect that is non-discursive (and that you can explain)
    • lyrics or human voices are OK if they are used for the quality of the voice; however, lyrics that have meaning that connect with story line or story content are basically out-of-bounds (ex. "You're So Vain" for Mishima)
    • other "sound clues" such as the sound of waves for Doppo are also out-of-bounds
  • the clip should be 20-30 seconds but clip it at a logical point, just try not to let it get too long (we are going to listen to a very large number, in a row, at least once!)
  • use your code name to label the file; if you submit more than one file just add a number to the end of your code name (I will change your file names of additional clips for the exam so that students cannot associate groups of soundclips with a single student owner)
  • send your clip to me as .mp3, .m4a or other standard audio file
  • use "sndclp" as the keyword (spell carefully; I'm avoiding "sound" because it is far too common in my subject lines)
  • do this at least 48 hours before the exam (late submissions might incur a grade penalty), earlier if you can (because assembling this test at my end is pretty complicated and early submission gives us a chance to fix the problem with a new submission)

Final Exam, Step 2 (prepare your presentation and be ready to answer questions):

Prepare a 30-second statement on what connection you see between your sound clip and your story (in other words say why you selected the clip). This can be a written statement your simply read aloud if you want to do it that way.

You will also be asked to speak for about 30 seconds on a topic not announced ahead of time. The best way to prepare for that is to have a clear opinion on the tone / mood / ambiance / non-discursive elements of each and every story.

Final Exam, test day:

Arrive on time, having memorized your code name

Hopefully, remember to bring a PEN for Part 2. Bring whatever is your favorite instrument for writing "X"s for Part 1.

We will have a break between Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 will take about 1:15 to complete so consider a rest stop ahead of the test. Part 2 will take about 30 minutes to complete.

The test grade is based on:

Was the sound clip submitted on time and according to instructions? (This could have a slight influence on the grade.)

I will probably average the letter grades given to your 30-second presentation / answer during Part 1 and Part 2, but I need to see the results. This is the core of the exam grade. It should be short, concise and informative. There is a severe enough penalty for going over time that you really want to stay within the 30-second time frame.

Consideration is given as to whether your sound clip had such a clear connection to the story that it attracted multiple correct answers. (These results might help me decide the question of how well you visualized, and communicated, the mood, etc. of the story but might be ignored if it seems not very informative).

I will not take into account whether you had the "right" answer on either Part 1 or Part 2. — It is all about the presentations and answers to my questions.

My work flow (shared with students to give them a sense of the day, certain portions omitted):

At home:

Print out exams. Print out Part 1/2 keys for me. Have paper copy of keys ready for grading (can't use computer, it is busy projecting the exam).

At classroom:

Part 1

(Ahead of time) Boot projector system. Open all sound files. Open timer as stopwatch. Connect to system.

Distribute Part 1 (only) answer sheets and state: "Do NOT put your name on the sheet. Put your codename on the sheet."

Explain the process: "I will play the clip and you will have that time plus about 30 more seconds to mark the answer sheet. Only one mark per clip; otherwise your answer is disqualified. You will then give me the sheets. I will shuffle them and return them randomly in a way that you do not have your own sheet. I will then play the first 15 seconds of each clip again and identify the author. You will mark the sheet in front of you as correct or not, and give credit in the special column when correct. The owner of the clip will then have 30 seconds to explain the connection between the clip and the story. I will grade that presentation with a letter grade that counts towards the final test grade. All the sheets are then returned to the front of the room. Student sort through and find their sheet, take a look at it, put their real name on it, and give it to me. How many 'correct' answers you have basically irrelevant to the test grade, nor will it be revealed. What will be revealed is how many students guessed your clip correctly. This figure will be considered when I am deciding the Part 1 grade which asks the question of how well you understood the mood of the story and could represent that. However, the presentation is by far more important. This other figure just gives me something that might help me think through your presentation. Presentations are recorded but I don't plan on listening to them or keeping them. I will listen if I'm very uncertain, later that day, about an appropriate grade for the presentation.

Run the students-write-their-answers segment:

  • Start play of first clip
  • Start stop watch
  • Proceed at 60 second marks to each new clip

Redistribute sheets:

  • Collect sheets.
  • Shuffle.
  • Place as stack in front.
  • Have students take the one off the top unless it is theirs. (Shuffle that back into the stack.)

Grading / presentations:

  • Explain the process: "I will play the first 10 seconds of a clip, just to remind everyone of which clip we are talking about. I will then reveal the author; students mark the correct author and place a "1" in the special column if the sheet they have has the correct answer. The owner of the clip then explains his or her choice in 30 seconds or less. I give a grade to this presentation (not revealed at that time). We then move on to the next clip.
  • Play first 10 seconds of clip.
  • Identify author (owner contradict me if I am wrong).
  • Students with correct answer raise their hands; I make a count and note on my sheet.
  • Clip owner explains connection of clip to the story in 30 seconds.
  • Move to the next clip at the 60 second mark.
  • Repeat.
  • At end, students return the sheets to the front of the room, find their sheets, take a look, put their name on it, and return it to me.

Part 2

Distribute Part 2 answer sheet and state: "Do not look at this answer sheet. Keep it face down please."

Explain the process, with the test still face down: "You will put your real name on the sheet, then you have 15 minutes to complete the sheet."

Students work on the answer sheet (15 minutes).

I then reveal the answers; students score their own sheets. It is irrelevant to the test grade whether the answer is correct or not but it IS relevant that the student can explain his or her answer. That is graded. Each student will be asked one or two questions. The answers are graded on the same basic question for this exam: the student's clarity on mood, etc. of the story.