THE ORAL EXAMJeff Boulton

THE PROFESSIONAL JOB INTERVIEWWoah. Wait a minute. Are you crazy?

NO, I’M NOT CRAZY.(It’s an oral exam…)

SO, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

THE SUMMATIVE:

Personal skills profile Understanding of self Understanding of required

skills Feedback/outside opinion

Community involvement Research and prep work

Studying Demonstrate research skills

Timeline Understanding of career and

educational paths

THE EXAM:

Job application Receive one, pick one Begin to prepare

Exemplars of interview Given process, types of

questions, sample answers Specific preparation

Apply summative results Conduct Interviews

One on one, no notes Question draw out course

content Specified time, location, and

limit During class or exam block

The goal is: you evaluate their learning, and they learn an invaluable life skill in the process!

WHY WOULD I WANT TO DO THIS?

(Translation: this sounds like more work.)(Also can be translated as: this sounds dumb.)

WHY YOU WANT TO DO THIS!

GIVEN THAT:

Exam time is busy Have oodles of marking Have to post online now too No time to remake anything

Should be emphasizing higher level thinking skills

Authentic tasks More relevant More interesting and fun Lend themselves to higher

level thinking skills

THIS FINAL 30%

Saves you time! Is easy to make and mark Is IMPOSSIBLE to cheat on! Has already been made for

you Emphasizes analysis,

articulation, and application

Is a simulation that’s A realistic, necessary life

skill Engaging and interactive Simultaneously requires the

use of all a student’s skills

WHY YOU WANT TO DO THIS!

GIVEN THAT:

You need to accommodate special learners

THIS FINAL 30%

Allows simple flexible accommodation for all

The interviewer can: Repeat questions Ask questions in a different way Clarify question Alter the time duration

For questions For the entire interview

Have unclear responses explained

Provides students with the maximum opportunity to be successful under conditions suitable to them

STILL NOT CONVINCED?

I KNOW, YOU’RE THINKING:

I need an examination In a controlled environment With time limits That tests course content

Doesn’t prepare them for University Yes, they don’t do this stuff Well, it’s not that important,

waste of time More important skills They have 60% exams Won’t prepare them for Uni

WELL,

It is an examination It is; it’s one on one It’s got ‘em It does

Are you completely sure about that? They do now 80-90% graduate with an

offer; 92% of grads placed for summer

Top skills demanded are used Not as much any more 84% of us have no degree

CONSIDER THIS…

WOULD YOU RATHER:

Write up a brand new assignment?

Modify your exam for each new semester?

Spend 20 minutes marking a student’s work?

Have to mark at home on your own time?

Sit for several hours in an exam setting?

OR WOULD YOU RATHER:

Use the one included with the outline?

Never really need to modify it ever again?

Spend 20 minutes with the student?

Mark in the interview during your work day?

Be finished with this course on the last day of classes?

Think about it

REFERENCES

Highest degree attained for Canadians 15 and older. Statistics Canada. Available online October 5, 2006 at

http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/educ42.htm

Class of 2005 Final Employment Results.Queen’s School of Business. Available online October 5, 2006 at:

http://business.queensu.ca/careers/docs/October2005FinalEmploymentResults.pdf

2005 HBA Summer Employment Statistics. Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario. Available online October 5, 2006 at:

http://www.ivey.uwo.ca/recruiter/Reports/HBA2005summerNEW.htm

Employability Skills 2000+Conference Board of Canada. Available online October 5, 2006 at

http://www.conferenceboard.ca/education/learning-tools/pdfs/esp2000.pdf