Job Discussion Forums

JohnCB · Joined: 28 Oct 2010 Posts: 59 Location: Los Angeles

MOD edit

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

Now this is a double edged sword Johnslat - kudos to the students for retaining the information as long as until the exam took place and brickbats to the instructor. However, it must also be revealed, the instructor used the exact same practice and "real" exam over at least 3 years - so did the students remember from the practice to the practical or did they just memorize what had been presented in previous years? Confused

Who knows?

johnslat · Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 7:16 pm Post subject:

Dear helenl

"Who knows?"

The Shadow knows.

"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay.... The Shadow knows!"

Regards,

Me and my shadow

Vancouver Vic · Joined: 18 Aug 2011 Posts: 37

I can assure you that the supervisor LK does NOT have an MBA. She has a masters degree in education but not an MBA. Hence her continued fear of losing her job. She knows herself she should have an MBA to be a business supervisor and from my source her other qualifications are in secretarial duties. She was put into the business supervisor job because Dr F likes her and didn't like the people who applied for the business supervisor position.

Vancouver Vic · Joined: 18 Aug 2011 Posts: 37

By the way, from what I hear, everyone in the business department gives "trial" exams that although are not exactly the same as the final are very very similar. That way they don't end up with the dreaded gap between course work and final exam marks.

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

I stand corrected on the type of Master's degree VV - and while I might agree with your perspective that an MBA might be viewed as a more desirable qualification for the position - the MEd (especially in an educational institution) certainly meets HCT's requirements of a "related Master's".

As for the testing - how often are the students given practice tests of previous PET exams etc.? And why can't they retain that knowledge for the real thing?

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Having taught business courses in the past at both HCT and another Gulf college, my textbooks even came with banks of practice tests... and they were very useful with the Middle East students for the obvious reason that their language skills were demonstrably too weak to deal with the texts.

In my case, the mid-terms and finals never had the exact same questions as the practice exams, but similarly worded and similar types of questions to what they had practiced. (It would be the similar to PET, IELTS, TOEFL practice tests and they do help to raise students grades.) I liked the idea that we were lowering the effect of language problems and fear of test formats, and more accurately testing their knowledge of the subject matter.

VS

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

Exactly - my biggest peeve with standardized PET tests etc. was that the tests (and therefore the teaching) were geared to situations/circumstances that GCC students were very unlikely to come across - EVER. What time does the bus leave for Reading? Who the HE ll cares if you have a Range Rover at your disposal?

secretsquirrel · Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2017 10:39 pm Post subject:

I have heard that the blog known as HCT Sucks has again been blocked in the UAE. Can anybody out there confirm (or deny) this for me, as I am no longer working out in The Sandpit.

Many thanks

SS

TheEasyLife · Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Posts: 57

I'm currently in Dubai and I just got onto HCT sucks so it's not blocked from here. A good read too.