Bad Test

[ecoli]

I just got the answers to my bio final, and I am pretty pissed. I got so many questions wrong, because so many of them are so freaking ambiguous, and there's a couple of answers that are probably right.

 

For example, there was a question about: How growing organisms decrease entropy internally when they grow, and how is the second law of termodynamics maintained.

 

One answer was about how organisms decrease order in the environment to maintain a decrease in entropy. The other answer was that there is an overall decrease of entropy in the universe. Does anybody else not see how these are the same answer??

 

Another question gave a bunch of drawings of meiosis and mitosis and asked which stages the different drawings were in... however, in my mind, all the drawings looked the same!

 

And another question was asking about the bicarbonate buffering system of the blood. The question gave the equation [ce] H2CO3 <-> HCO3^- + H^+[/ce]

 

IT asks what happens when the pH of the blood decreases. Of course, I put the answer that there was a shift to the right in the equation. What the question was trying (and failed to ask) was how the body would maintain homeostasis if the pH were to drop.

 

Let it be noted, that the question, in no way, mentioned this at all, but rather implies, however indirectly.

 

 

And another question, it asked which form of energy was least available to organisms to do work. I choose, despite my knowledge of the nervous system, electrical energy. However the right answer was thermal energy. This answer got me pissed, because they claimed that thermal energy isn't as necesary for work as other forms... it was as if organisms didn't need to maintain temperatures in order to function properly!

 

Another question asked which would be the 'metabolic poison' that most directly interfers with glycolysis. Then, they proceeded to list four different methods of directly stopping glycolysis... I mean, what the hell![/rant]

 

I think the main problem with the test, is that it wasn't made for thinkers... just people who memorize facts and study practice tests. The class itself was supposed to be pretty easy, but all the tests were like this one. Poorly worded questions for people who have little interest in biological concepts. And now, I'm going to bad in an easy class.

 

By chemistry class was a lot harder because it was an 'honors' class. They tests actually made you think and you had to work out problems. It wasn't enough to memorize facts, you actually had to learn how to think. A skill much more usful then memorization... and now I'm getting penalized for trying to develop that skill.

[insane_alien]

And another question was asking about the bicarbonate buffering system of the blood. The question gave the equation H2CO3 <-> HCO3^- + H^+

 

IT asks what happens when the pH of the blood decreases. Of course, I put the answer that there was a shift to the right in the equation

 

ahem, left.

[ecoli]

oops

[timo]

For example' date=' there was a question about: How growing organisms decrease entropy internally when they grow, and how is the second law of termodynamics maintained.

 

One answer was about how organisms decrease order in the environment to maintain a decrease in entropy. The other answer was that there is an overall decrease of entropy in the universe. Does anybody else not see how these are the same answer??[/quote']

*raises his claw*

 

We have:

First answer) They decrease order in the enviroment to maintain their decrese of entropy. In other words: They compensate their decrese in entropy by increasing the entropy in the enviroment.

Second answer) Let´s just violate the 2nd law by decreasing the total entropy.

 

The two answers look pretty different to me, especially given that most people assume the first one is correct and the second one isn´t.

 

Result: It´s not always the teacher that is stupid, even if the pupils find that hard to imagine (yeah, I´m speaking for myself here ).

[ecoli]

sorry atheist... in my ranting I didn't catch the typo.

 

The second answer was actually that that there is an overall INCREASE of entropy in the universe. (decrease in disorder) sorry... do the answers look more similiar now?

[timo]

Assuming the "decrease in disorder" you have in parentheses is a relic from typing adn that we´re really speaking about "increase of entropy" now, then the two answers look more similar. Though, there is still some difference if you are really looking for one. Answer one leaves the possibility to have a decrease in total entropy, for example (because nothing is said about the quantities).

I don´t think there´s much point in debating over this question without having the exact wording of the question and the answers at hand. Multiple choice questions (I assume it was multiple choice) often depend on nuances in the questions and answers.

[CharonY]

I choose, despite my knowledge of the nervous system, electrical energy. However the right answer was thermal energy. This answer got me pissed, because they claimed that thermal energy isn't as necesary for work as other forms... it was as if organisms didn't need to maintain temperatures in order to function properly!

 

Actually only few organisms maintain a certain temperature and furthermore, the question was (at least as I understand it) if they could actually convert it to energy. And here the answer is quite obvious, as electron transport is clearly involved in energy (ATP) production, whereas heat is not.

 

Sorry, while I am not a big fan of making multiple choice tests (but they are sooo much more time efficient). I actually fail to see that they are badly constructed (with the caveats Atheist gave).

[ecoli]

Actually only few organisms maintain a certain temperature and furthermore, the question was (at least as I understand it) if they could actually convert it to energy. And here the answer is quite obvious, as electron transport is clearly involved in energy (ATP) production, whereas heat is not.

 

True, but the question was about using energy not energy conversion. And, all organism need to maintain temperature to survive (even if they control internal heat themselves).

 

In any case, I feel like the way the question was asked was too vague, so it allowed for multiple correct answers.

[Cloud]

I think the main problem with the test' date=' is that it wasn't made for thinkers... just people who memorize facts and study practice tests.

[/quote']

 

But you said the test was ambiguous???

 

If the test was for people who memorised facts then there would only be one answer - the answer they memorised.

 

In regard to that -

 

Yes - it is a problem:-)