Job Discussion Forums

Old Surrender · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:55 am Post subject: Fill-in-the-blank syndrome

I have a couple students who suffer from "Fill-In-The-Blank Syndrome." Symptoms include filling out worksheets without a hitch, acing multiple-choice tests, locking up like an old computer during conversation exercises and quivering at the sight of short-answer questions.

I think these kids grasp the concepts just fine, but they can't (or won't) apply them. Any tips to get them to move beyond this level of response?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Stop the fill in the blanks and multiple choice exercises, for one.

Tell them such things (if you choose to keep them) are only worth 1% of the grade. The other 99% must be different activities.

Then practice what you preach and give them far more opportunities to practice what they learn! It'll be painful, but practice "tough love".

Videotape them early, let them learn from their mistakes, and tape them later and later and later. Go over the mistakes as soon as possible to give feedback that they can remember and use.

Peer review each other.

Let THEM be the ones to make role-play dialogs!

Old Surrender · Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:21 am Post subject:

Good ideas! I can't nix the fill-in-the-blank sheets and the multiple choice tests (school policy, parents want to see tests and worksheets with "100%" scrawled on them) but I'll try to downplay them.

Peer review will be interesting. The ones who do talk revel in their peers' errors. Twisted Evil