Marking exams - I hate it.

ANS exam Friday 30 May 16:00

Still just looking at the first question. I see an overwhelming tendency to memory dump things about wimax, without considering whether they are relevant. This is a BISM course. I don't expect the fine detail, but I expect you to consider how they are used in the business. I have many instances of Wimax base stations stuck up in places, without any indication of how they are connected to the rest of the network. Also people putting locations into VLANS, rather than considering VLAN for Public browsing, Journalists, and Olympic officals.

Some people have not considered a connection from Weymouth to the rest of the Olympics network.

Some have thought that we could build access lists for 60,000 people and devices for MAC registrations, for a two week event.

Very little (= none) thought about the amount of traffic that would flow up the line to the rest of the world.

Finished the first question for 55% - some good answers.

Now on to the 15% questions

Some students think that 6 lines of nonsense will get them marks on a 15 point question. Think of the word 'point'. I want 15 relevant points to get some marks, They should aim for a few extra in case they duplicate some or some are totally wrong. I mark by reading through checking valid points and then counting up the checks, sometimes deducting a point where they have put something so bad that I have marked it with a cross. That demonstrates that they have not learned it well enough.

The final exam is not about regurgitating what I have pointed you towards through the year, but demonstrating that you are able to think about it and apply it. It is supposed to continue stretching you.

There will be some resits, which makes me ashamed, because to me it sort of implies that I have not taught them well enough, Though, the resits are those that have not done any reading, or thinking, and do not seem to have taken anything on board. I wish that I could match up the fails to the attendance record.