This document addresses the process of documenting
solutions and, most importantly, the process of self-critique when
completing qa and query exercises. It is recommended
that you review this document periodically, especially if your
instructor recommends this a posted response to a
submitted assignment.
This document is divided into two parts. This first
part describes the process of response and self-critique.
The second part includes common notes related to the process of
response and self-critique, given in instructor responses to work
submitted by students.
The_Process_of_Responding_and_Self-Critiquing
Answering and
self-critiquing problems and questions
On every item in a query or a qa,
you are to provide your best attempt at a solution, and if a solution
to the question or problem is given you are to self-critique as appropriate
(see below for more about self-critique). If you believe you are unable to
solve a problem, you should indicate as specifically as possible what
you do and do not understand about each phrase in the problem,
and about the problem as a whole.
Every solution should include documentation, meaning that you
should indicate your reasoning and an outline of the steps you
used in obtaining the solution.
Your instructor's main function is not to point out errors in
your solutions or evaluate your solutions, but to address your needs as
they are indicated in your self-critiques.
Self-critique, in those cases where your solution differs from
the given solution, is the most important part of the Query/qa process. Self-critique focuses your attention on
essential details, and it provides the instructor the information
required to help you.
The purpose of the self-critique is to demonstrate to your
instructor what you do and do not understand, so your instructor can
help you address any specific idea or procedure that might
be giving you trouble. Your instructor can and will help if
you provide the necessary information.
The first thing required is that you recognize when your
solution does not match the given solution.
If your solution differs from the given solution you should
then include statements that indicate the differences,
and that document what you do and do not understand about that
solution.
Your self-critique should document understanding, and not simply assert
understanding (i.e., you should show that you understand, not
just say that you do).
A good place to start with a self-critique is to think in terms
of the following questions:
The nature of a good self
critique
In a good self-critique you need identify the specific
things you do and do not understand in the given solution,
and either demonstrate your
understanding or ask specific questions about what you don't
understand.
You need to detail the points on which your solution differs from
the given solution. Deconstruct the given solution and explain
in detail what you do and do not understand about every part.
Once you have defined and detailed what you do and do not understand, your instructor can help you in the appropriate
manner. If you fail to do this, your instructor might not have
enough information to help.
A self-critique should include specific questions about the problem
or the given solution.
If you didn't
self-critique in the prescribed manner
You are welcome to insert additional self-critiques, including
specific questions, into a copy of this document for my further
response. Mark your insertions with &&&&
so your instructor can quickly identify them.
The remainder of this document consists of common notes. If you are
reviewing this document then you can treat each common note as an item on a
checklist. Any note that applies to your work should alert you to a
possible need to modify your way of responding to queries and qa's.
Common notes: No
answer given, not enough detail in answer.
The following notes apply when you haven't responded sufficiently to a
question, and haven't self-critiqued. Remember, you always need to at
least state what you do and do not understand about the problem and about the
given solution. Even if you are wrong in your interpretation, the
attempt to understand the question will engage your brain in a way that gives
you a basis for additional insight and understanding.
Common notes:
Asserting but not demonstrating understanding
The following apply when you say, but do not show, that you
understand. It might be that you really do understand and just don't have
time to address the details, but if these comment
apply to most of the problems in a set, there's a good chance that you aren't
developing the necessary understanding and skills.
Common Notes: Give me more information
Common Notes:
Phrase by phrase analysis
Common Notes:
Rating the self critique
It is necessary for you to rate your self-critiques.
This allows the instructor to quickly spot areas of trouble and address
them. Self-critiques are rated 0, 1, 2 or 3. The ratings are
described below:
Ideally most of your solutions will be correct, and most of the rest will
fall into the category of 'mostly correct'. When this is the case on most
of your assignments, it is very likely that you are doing well in the
course. If this is not the case then you should probably be working
harder on self-critiques and on responses to instructor suggestions:
Common Notes:
partially correct but without self-critique
If you are getting significant parts of many problems right but not
self-critiquing in the prescribed manner, then you might not be getting the
full benefit of the exercises and might not be mastering the content at the
level necessary to perform well on the tests. When the following notes
apply to most of a student's responses, it is difficult for the instructor to
gauge the student's progress. Some students to whom this description
applies are in fact developing sufficient understanding and just don't have
time to address every detail. Most students to whom the description
applies are getting some of the ideas but aren't working at the necessary level
and are unlikely to perform well on tests.
Demonstrate your understanding