Exaninatlona as educational means 
 with special reference to the method of 8elf«>exaiainati(m 
 
 By 
 
 Harvey Leathenaan Eby 
 A, B. (Yale University) 1910 
 
 THESIS 
 
 Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of 
 
 MASTER OF ARTS 
 in 
 
 ^d u ca //' 6 n 
 
 in the 
 
 GRADUATE DIVISION 
 
 of the 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 ^ S^ 
 
 Inst rue ter 
 
 Approved 
 
 7r in Charge 
 
 Deposited in the University Library 
 
 Date Librarian 
 
eOucfr 
 
 L34 
 
 
CHAPTER I. IBIRODDCTIOB 1-3 
 
 CHAPTER II. laSTORT, P0RPOSF.S, ^D IXBDS OF EXAiaSATIOHB 4-18 
 
 A* Burly lUatory of EaamiaationB 4 
 
 B» Change in Type and Character 6 
 
 C« Kinds ond Purpose of Hbcaminationa T 
 
 D* Hsana, Methods and Functions of Eagsainations 12 
 
 CHAPTER III. FSOSiQI i^ND PROCSDTBB 14-28 
 
 A. Definition of Terms • 14 
 
 B* The Approaches to the Froblaa IS 
 
 C« The Specific Problem •• 20 
 
 P* Method and Source of Data • 23 
 
 I* Senw AaMes of the Set Exszoination • . • 23 
 
 II* Sane Phases of the Self Exsmination . . 24 
 
 CHAFTER IV* DATA OB THE SET HUlilHATIQN WITH IHTEBPRBIATIOI 29-59 
 
 A* Oeneral statement ••••• 29 
 
 B* Feelings at Aanouncement and Causes • • • . . 89 
 
 C* Hubits of Stxxdy 37 
 
 D« Feelings at Talcing Eaudnation 41 
 
 £• Svalxiation of Set Sauoinations ....... 4ft 
 
 sr.satn 
 
ii 
 
 CHA.PTER T. MTA m SELF EZAIOHATIGH ASD IHTERFBETATIOB 57-90 
 
 A* Oeneml Statoment •••••••..•••• 67 
 
 B* Fe«ling8 at Announcement and Causes .... 57 
 
 C. Habits of Study and Their Emluation • • • 67 
 
 D« Feelings at Preparing Self faantitntttion • • 74 
 
 £• The Self fixsoinatlon Evalixated 81 
 
 F« Effect on Study liabits and Iteaoxy . . • • • 88 
 
 CHAPTEB VZ. A OOHnuOSOB AKD I?AUIATI0B OF THE MTA . . 91 - U5 
 A* Fe«llngs Tovard Two Typos of Rxaminations . 91 
 
 B* Study liabits of Two Uethods CompE.red • • • 104 
 
 C« Dii^ot Smluation «f tlis Two Hsthods ... 106 
 
 CHAPTER m. BSZB08FBCT 116-127 
 
 A. Critioisni of the Uethod lU 
 
 B. Additional Problsms for Study 119 
 
 C. The Hei fiMults 128 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
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 Microsoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/examinationsasedOOebyhrich 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 IKTRODUCTIOW. 
 
 The UhiTorsity of California derotes about tiro and one-half ireeks 
 each semester* or fire weeks of the oollegiate year to the matter of 
 final exaainations* Besides this, in the majority of courses^ /^h?**^ ^^^ 
 at least tvo mid*terms eaoh semester, or four mid-terms a year. In the 
 ease of a tvo unit course, this means another two weeks deToted to the 
 Bxibject of examinations. It would thus appear that six or seven weeks 
 of the thirty-six 'weeks of the standard college year are consumed by the 
 facility and students in giving and taking examinations. This means that 
 from sixteen to twenty per cent, of the total time in college is giren 
 OTer to examinations. Put in still another way, about six or seven months 
 of a standard college course of thirty-six months, are set aside for 
 examinational piu'poses. Or again, if the examination progr«un were dis- 
 tributed more evenly throughout the year, instead of being principally 
 massed into two solid blocks of time, one at the end of each semester, 
 we should have every fifth or sixth day taken up with the effort of test- 
 ing the effectiveness of college teaching. 
 
 The importance or magnitude of the problem may be made to stand 
 out further by considering it in connection with the size of the student 
 body at the University of Calfomia. To take one-fifth or one-sixth of 
 one student's time in college to find out irfiat he knows or what he can 
 do, mostly what he knows of certain sxibject matter, or to give that time 
 over to the student to prove himself, may not of itself se«a a very large 
 
2. 
 
 or important problem. But to tak* six or soTen months out of tho 
 thirty-six months spent in college by eaoh of the ten thousand or more 
 students 4 makes the problem asstme much larger proportions. We may say 
 that the fact that a man spends twenty oents of the one dollar at his 
 disposal one ivay or for one thing as against spending the eighty oents 
 of that dollar some other tVay, may not give rise to any demand for a 
 more efficient accounting system on his part. HoweTor, when one has 
 |10«000 to invest f the oue»fifth of that amount in question would make 
 the problem bulk larger, and would most probably call for a olose scrutiny 
 of the different fields of investment* the returns on each, and the like. 
 Ten thousand students spending six weeks in examinations eaoh year would 
 ■mke the aggregate of months thus spent fifte«\ thousand in all. If it 
 costs the college student on an average of sixty- dollars a month, the 
 money value of the time represented in examinations would be nearly one 
 million dollars, to say nothing of the cost of ma5.ntenance, operation, 
 and instruction on the part of the Dhiversity itself. 
 
 This view of the problem of aoaderaic examinations would seem to 
 Justify the raising of several important questions, such as: What is the 
 nature of the returns, or the net results from examinations, as usually 
 conducted? Are im getting the results we have assxaied that we are getting? 
 Are there any byproducts or disadvantages that accompany the usual examina- 
 tional system which would seem to impair or to outweigh th«« advantages? Do 
 the net results justify the time devoted to securing them? Could the time 
 given over to examinations be used to better purposes? Is the method of 
 examination, as usually adopted, the best method; or could some other 
 
s. 
 
 method be substituted therefor with adTantage to all oonoerned? In 
 other irords, shotild not such a vast soheme, -vast in time, energy, and 
 money expended on it, as veil as in the ireight it carries in determining 
 the marks or standings of the students in the ••reral courses, be made to 
 justify itself; or, failing to do that, make room for something better? 
 Would it not seem perhaps to merit much more attention, both in quantity 
 and quality, than it is apparently getting? 
 
 That there is oonsiderable interest in the question, both among 
 the students and the faculty of the Uniyersity of Calfornia is reflected 
 In the student publication. The Daily Californian . The questions discussed 
 therein are chiefly the necessity and purpose of examinations, their ef* 
 fectiveness, cheating, and the honor spirit designed to abolish cheating, 
 together with a discussion of ways and means of putting such honor spirit 
 into fxill effect. The general newspaper and magazine literature on the 
 subject also shows a wide and -varied interest in the different phases of 
 school examinations. It would, howeTer, lead us too far afield to examine 
 into the kind and qxjality of this literatiire. It will be sufficient at 
 this point to state that this study represents an approach to the problem 
 different from suiy previous approach, as revealed by an investigation of 
 •uoh literature. For the purpose of perspective, it may be found profit- 
 able to take a brief survey of the history, kinds, and purposes of examina- 
 tions in the next chapter. 
 
 We understand that there is a committee of the President of the University 
 of California working through a special investigator on the problem of 
 University Examinations, but its findings have not yet been made public* 
 
4. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 BISTORT, PURPOSES, AHD KINDS OP EXAHINATIOfTS. 
 
 A. Early History of Examinations . 
 
 An InTostigatlon of the history of ezaminatlons leads one to the 
 oonclusion that they are almost as old as the prorerhial hills. They are 
 at least so old as "the memory of man rimneth not to the contrary.** There 
 are records of examinations having been used in China as early as 2200 6.C* 
 as periodic tests of officers in the public serrice. It is recorded 
 that the Oreat Shun examined his officers every third year. They were 
 then either promoted or dismissed from the service as the examination 
 
 ■esBMd to 'warrant. Examinations for the selection of officers for the 
 public service came into use about 1115 B.C. In these examinations candi- 
 dates for office had to show proficiency in music, archery, horsemanship, 
 writing, arithmetic, and the rites and ceremonies of public and social 
 life." It Is not improbable that examinations as a method In education 
 were already old when we get our first glimpse of them In China. It Is 
 said that "this system of examinations Is the oldest educational tnstfu s" 
 M en al institution in the world." 
 
 Though examinations have thus been shown to have had their beginning 
 in hoary antiquity, it is not supposed that our modem examinations take 
 their rise from these ancient examples. There Is no agreement, however, 
 among authors from just what source they originated, nor the date of their 
 
 Examinations, Encyclopaedia Britannlca . 
 ** K«Bp« B. L., History of Education , 1901. J, B. Llpplncott Co. P. 20. 
 
institution. One inriter puts it this way: 
 
 "When the Emperor Antonius Pius* created the first public pro - 
 fessorship at Athens, he unintentionally institutionalized one feature 
 of instruction which has exacted rather a larger tribute of human energy 
 than is its due. For the practice came into being that the teacher who 
 was to be paid out of the imperial treasury should be selected from the 
 whole number of candidates for the post, by means of an examination."** 
 
 Examinations had no sooner been established as a means of select- 
 ing professors for university teaching, than their use spread to other 
 pTirposes. Of this spread Dr. Moore says further: 
 
 "And the professors, having learned how important examinations 
 were to themselves quickly passed them on to their students. Education 
 had gone on for some six hundred years or more in Qreeoe without them, 
 and It had been able to do its work well, as the results of the Socratlo 
 age show. Nevertheless they became an essential part of its proced\ire, 
 and in the eyes of many students cmd teachers the determining feature in 
 its work." 
 
 By others it is said that "the majority of examinations in western 
 countries are derived from the university examinations of the middle ages" 
 and that the "earliest university examinations of which a description is 
 available are those in civil and canon law held at Bologna at a period sub- 
 sequent to 1219." According to the aaae authority, competitive exami- 
 nations for qualifying and selective purposes had been developed con* 
 siderably at the University of Louvaln by the fifteenth century, and that 
 examinations for the B. A. and U. A. degrees were established at Oxford, 
 1636-1638. A third author, after remarking that "the earliest type of 
 exaoination idilch prevailed was oral," goes on to tfay: 
 
 The reign of Antonius Pius was 138 - 161 A. D, 
 
 Moore, £. C, What is Education? Sinn and Company. 1915. P. 282. 
 
 *** 
 
 Examinations, Encyclopaedia Britannioa . 
 
6. 
 
 "The irritten examination tias unknown at the uniTersities probably 
 \mtil 1702, when it was introduced by Bentley at Trinity College, 
 Cambridge. Practical examinations had been employed for a long time in 
 the medieval universities in «uoh a subject as medicine. But the examina- 
 tion in its modern form is a development of the eighteenth century. "<' 
 
 B. Change in Type and Character . 
 
 It would be most interesting and instructive to trace the changes 
 
 in type and character that the examinations have undergone since they 
 
 were first used in the medieval universities; b\xt a series of quotations 
 
 from Dr. Moore and others shall have to satisfy this point for present 
 
 purposes. 
 
 "The first universities were nothing but gilds or unions of 
 teachers. They adopted the gild method of applying technical tests to 
 the student who sought admission into their company as masters." These 
 tests "consisted of certain private examinations, a sample lecture on 
 the maintaining of a thesis and his solemn inception into the gild. This 
 aoadenio ceremony tested the ability of the candidate to do what he was 
 henceforth to do, namely, teach certain books according to certain es* 
 tablished methods. It was an ordeal made necessary by its object." 
 
 "The modern examination has preserved almost every feature of the 
 mediaeval one save its object. That older one was employed to find out 
 whether a man was fit to do a certain thing that he aspired to do. The 
 modem examination exists primarily to determine whether the student knows 
 what it is conceived that he should know. This change in pxirpose made it 
 possible for the examination to take the form of written answers to 
 written questions. Written examinations having been invented quickly 
 commended themselves as an easily workable device which every teacher of 
 no matter what subject should apply early and often. ""** 
 
 In substantial agreement with the foregoing quotation are the 
 
 following with respect to the natvire of these early exeiffllnations and 
 
 their purpose* 
 
 "In the mediaeval examinations we find most of the elements of 
 our present examinations such as certificates of previous study and good 
 
 ♦ 
 
 Examinations, Cyclopedia of Education , 1911. Edited by Paul tfonroe. 
 The Uaomlllan* Company. 
 
 *♦ 
 
 Moore, E. C, What is Education? pp. 282, 283, 284. 
 
7. 
 
 oonduet, preparation of set-books, questioning on subjects not speoially 
 prepared* dirision of examinations into various parts* classification in 
 order of merit." 
 
 "At their best they (these early university examinations) fulfilled 
 precisely the technical purpose for which they were intended; they fully 
 tested the capacity of the candidate to teach the subjects which he was 
 required to teach in accordance with the methods which he was reqtxired to 
 use."* 
 
 C* Kinds and Purpose of Examinations . 
 
 There is no standard classification of or a generally accepted 
 noaenclattire available for use in a discussion of the subject of examina- 
 tions. A complete investigation of the different types of examinations in 
 use together with the purposes and methods of such exauninations with a 
 view to establishing a standard classification and developing a nomenclature 
 that would be generally acceptable would be a most important study within 
 Itself. We may here only sketch and outline the different kinds and classes 
 of examinations with their several purposes* rather loosely though it my 
 be. Neither the classes nor the list is intended to be exhaustive but 
 rather only suggestive as to the wideness of the field or subject. 
 
 First* there are the three broad general classes* such as civil 
 service* professional* and school examinations, ^hile as suggested* no 
 ■harp lines will be drawn between these several types of examinations* 
 yet it may be said in a general way that the first two are used as means 
 in public administration* while the last are devices or means adopted in 
 schools for educational purposes, (a) Civil service examinations are ex- 
 aminations conducted by or tinder the authority of some political unit* 
 
 * 
 Examinations* Encyclopaedia Britanniea . 
 
8. 
 
 vhether state or national, for the purpoae of classifying and selecting 
 fit and proper persons for the public service; (b) professional examina- 
 tions are like^se usually conducted by or under the authority of soa* 
 political or eiril unit, whether state, county, or munioipality, for the 
 purpose of selecting qualified persons to teach in the public schools, 
 and for admission to the practice of law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, 
 and the like; (e) school examinations we shall roughly understand to mean 
 those soraenhat regular or periodic tests of knowledge, of either special 
 or general capacity or fitness, conducted either by the school authorities 
 themselves or by some body or authority independent of the schools, for 
 the purposes of selecting, classifying, grading or narking, and promoting 
 students. School examinations fall into three general classes: (l) entrance 
 examinations; (2) examinations in course; and (S) sohool>leaving examina- 
 tions* 
 
 Second, examinations may be elassified on the basis of the nature 
 of the exercise or materials involved; as, (a) practical or laboratory 
 examination; and (b) the theoretical or knowledge examination. The former 
 requires the doing or making scn^t^iljog, or as performing an experiment in 
 a laboratory. It partakes of the xxature of applied knowledge and skill. 
 The theoretical examination, on the other hand, is a test of knowledge, 
 of principles involved and the like, and partcJces of the nature of a mental 
 exercise. 
 
 Third, school examinations are sometimes classed as "honor" or 
 "pass" examinations, as is the case in English Colleges and Universities, 
 being distinguished in part by their relative degree of difficulty or 
 
9. 
 
 extent of ground covered. Students seeking honors are required to take 
 the more diffiotilt "honors'* examinations, while all other students are 
 permitted to take the easier "pass** examination. 
 
 A fourth class if iofition of examinations is sometimes made as (a) in- 
 ternal, and (b) external^ according as the examination lists originate vith 
 the teaching staff or irith some authority dissociated from the teaching 
 staff. Internal examinations are those in ifhioh the teaching and examin- 
 ing functions are combined, and external examinations, those in which the 
 two functions are separated. It is said that the "teaching and examining 
 fxmotions of a university were dissociated for the first time at the in- 
 corporation of the Ihfiiyersity of London, 1836. The teachers had no share 
 in the appointment of the examiners or in determining the curricula for 
 examinati ons . " * 
 
 The examinations in England are perhaps the most noted external 
 examinations, while the regents* examinations in the state of Hew York 
 are the best example of the same kind in America. 
 
 r 
 
 . Another writer would classify school examinations as of "two sorts, 
 the intraterm, commonly called 'tests', and the interterm, called 'finals*."** 
 This suggests also the classes, "mid-terms" and "finals"; or "preliminaries" 
 and "finals. •• 
 
 Sixth, there are irtiat are sometimes called (a) oomprehensive ex- 
 aminations, and (b) subject examinations. By a cooprehensiTe examination 
 is understood an examination in a field as, say, mathematics, while a 
 
 ♦ ■ ' 
 
 Examinations, Encyclopaedia Britannica. 
 
 Earle, S. C, Examinations in English. English Journal , Vol. III. 
 December, 1914. pp. 612-619. 
 
10. 
 
 subject examination would be an examination in a single subjeot of 
 ■athematics, as arithmetic or geoaetry. Or again, a comprehensire e:^- 
 •mination would be one in the entire field of history or literature, 
 while a subject examination would be one confined to a special phase in 
 each of these fields, as Amerioan history, or the law and technique of 
 the drama* 
 
 Serenth, much has been said in recent years about objeotlTc 
 measurements. The term objective would suggest its opposite, subjective. 
 Thus, examinations are subjective or objective according as the rating* 
 evaluating, or marking of the same is more or less a matter of subjective 
 or personal opinion, or whether the evaluating may be done by some con- 
 stant, fixed, external standard. A teacher giving her pupils a writing 
 test and then rating such writing according to her own individual notion 
 of what constitutes good and poor penmanship, would be an exanqple of a 
 subjective examination; whereas, the rating of such samples of writing 
 by means of a graded or standardized writing scale wotild Illustrate the 
 objective examination. The objective and subjective examinations suggest, 
 in a measure, the fourth classification above, the external and internal 
 examinations. A teacher examining her pupils in terras of her crm teach- 
 ing and standards may be said to measure her pupils subjectively while an 
 examination given by soma one other than the teacher, the teacher having 
 no share in determining the examination questions, beeoaes more of an 
 objective examination. 
 
 Closely z^lated to the objective and subjective examinations are 
 the terms standardized and unstandardized edTioational measures, scales. 
 
u. 
 
 or tests. Th« standard tests, scales, or measures are ezeroises, 
 problssM, or samples of aocomplishments of known difficulty arranged in 
 a series, the seune being widely aocepted and used as measures of Talue, 
 for the purpose of oooparing the aehieToments or natire abilities of 
 pupils. The usual sohool examinations, the lists being prepared for 
 the particular occasion each time, irould be examples of unstandardised 
 examinations. 
 
 ninth, a further classification nould be, (a) mental or intelli- 
 gence tests, and (b) educational measurements. In the case of the former 
 the piirpose is to measure native mental ability or intelligence, power 
 or capacity, while in the latter the aim is to measure school ability 
 or aohievement iihioh is the result of training. 
 
 Tenth, various terms are applied to examinations, such as tests, 
 written re-flews, quizzes, aocording as the objeet or purpose in the Tiew 
 of the instructor, or the length of time to be oonsuned in taking them, 
 my Tary. The briefer, more frequent, regular or irregular, informal 
 ones are often called tests or quisses, or even written roTiews, while 
 the longer, less frequent, more formal and difficult ones are usually 
 styled examinations. 
 
 An eleventh classification was suggested in the preceding para- 
 graph, that of informal and formal examinations, with the distinction 
 between the two types being similar to that given abore. 
 
 Twelfth, examinations may be either public or private, according 
 as they are conducted by some public or private authority; or aocording 
 aa they are open to the public or to only a selected group. 
 
12. 
 
 Thesis examinations are sometimes set aside as a speoial type 
 or olass, in irtiioh the chief object is the quizzing on and the defense 
 of a thesis prepared by a candidate for a degree* 
 
 Lastly, examinations may be either oral or vritten. 
 
 The difficulty of classifying was recognized at the outset, and 
 nas so stated. This difficulty arises from the fact that the terms used 
 to designate the several classes are not mutually exclusiTe. Instead, 
 a single class may cut across all the other classes, as is practically 
 the case vith the oral and inritten forms of examinations. As vas sug- 
 gested in the beginning, to derire a scientific classification of exami« 
 nations, and derelop a standardised nomenclature for the same might of 
 itself be a -worthy study. 
 
 D* Means, Methods and Functions of Examinations. •/ 
 
 The sereral purposes of examinations had to be discussed in part 
 
 at least, in connection irith the consideration of the different classes 
 
 of such examinations. We have already seen that examinations are carried 
 
 out by means of (l) written papers; (2) oral qtiizzes; (3) practical or 
 
 laboratory tests; (4) theses; or (5) by the combination of t-no or more 
 
 of these* lie have also seen that, 
 
 "examinations may test (i) knowledge, or, more exactly, the power of re- 
 stating facts and arguments of a kind that may be learnt by rote; (ii) the 
 power of doing something, e.g., of making a precis of a written dootnent, 
 of writing a letter or a report an a particular subject with a particular 
 object in view, of translating from or into a foreign language, of solv* 
 ing a mathematical problem, of criticizing a passage from a literary work, 
 o^ writing an essay on an historical or literary subject with the aid of 
 books in a library, of diagnosing the malady of a patient, of analyzing 
 a ehemieal mixture or compounCl; and (the highest form under the rubric) 
 of making an original contribution to learning or science as the result 
 of personal investigation or experiment*** 
 
 * 
 ilxaminations. Encyclopaedia Britannioa . 
 
IS. 
 
 It refluiins to smmarize the functions of examinations. Such 
 functions aay be said to be : (1) to test the extent of past work; 
 (2) to test the power for subsequent work — the degree of present 
 ability; and we might also add (3) that> through the means adopted or 
 used, examinations should enoouraige proper stiidy habits. The last is, 
 howeTsr, practically io^lled in (2). 
 
 The importance of examinations has been considered, and a brief 
 surrey of the history, kinds, purposes. Beans, and functions of examina* 
 tions made. Under the kinds of examinations, there were given the three 
 broad general classes of ciTil serrice, professional, and school examina- 
 tions. School examinations were further classified as entrance, course, 
 and school-leaTlng examinations. In the treatment of the topic, "Examina- 
 tions as educational means with special reference to the Self Examination, 
 we shall restrict our study to school examinations given in course. 
 It will be the function of the next chapter to define the terms more fully, 
 to set out jbhe problem for special study, to note the various approaches 
 to the problem, and to present the procedure followed in its solution* in- 
 cluding the sources of the data collected and to be discussed In succeed- 
 ing chapters. 
 
14. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 FBOBLEU ARD PROCEPURE . 
 
 A. Definition of Terms . 
 
 In the preTlous chapters a common understanding of the terms 
 used has been asstaaed. It will be neoessary, howeTer, from this point 
 forward to assure ourselres of such ooomon understanding of the terms 
 "exarainatlons", "educational means", "self examination", and the like. 
 
 The term"ezaminatioif oomes from the Latin eaaaen , the tongue of 
 a balance, (the Indicator) , and tlon meaning the aot or state of. 
 Exanen is a oontracted form of exagmen, from exlgere , to weigh, to treat 
 to drive out, to demand, to determine, to measttre* We have then examina- 
 tion in a broad sense meaning (a) the aot of weighing, determining, 
 measuring, or indicating; or (b) the state of being memsured, determined, 
 indicated, or weighed. To quote Webster, it means "a eareful search, in> 
 Yestigation or Inquiry; scrutli^ by study or experiment* ** Again, In a 
 narrower sense, it means "a process prescribed or assigned for testing 
 qualification." We shall thus understand a school examination glTen in 
 course to mean "a process prescribed or assigned for testing qualification**, 
 the q\ialifioatlon to be tested being (1) the extent of past work; and (2) 
 the power for subsequent work or the degree of present ability. 
 
 The term "educational means" is of eota>se oomplex and we shall haTe 
 to separate it into its component parts in order to get at lbs meaning. 
 "Educational" we shall consider as of^ or pertaining to education, and by 
 "means" we shall understand a method, way, or derice, "throtigh which or 
 by the help of which an end is attained; something tending to an object 
 
15. 
 
 desired; intermediate agency or measure. ** Thus then, "educational means** 
 will be any method, i»ay, device, agency, or measure through which or by 
 the help of which education is attained, or that tends to educate. 
 
 The self examination is that type or method of testing in which 
 the responsibility of giwing the examination is placed on the student 
 himself, he becoming at once and the same time the examinee and examiner* 
 Aa to how this may be done or is carried out, will be discussed later, and 
 an amplification of the term given* 
 
 B* The Approaches to the Problem * 
 . To consider the several possible ways of attacking this problem 
 will tend to make it stand out in greater relief. What, then, are some 
 of such approaches? First, one might take the historical viewpoint and 
 undertake to present the history of examinations as educational means, 
 •hewing the origin and evolution of the several types of examinations, 
 tracing any changes that each may have undergone in either purpose or 
 method or both, and thereby evaliuiting examinations in each of the several 
 periods of eduoational history. In this way one would be able to discover 
 how much of the past with respect to examinations, whether good, bad, or 
 Indifferent, is still with us, together with the reasons therefor. 
 
 Second, an investigation of the present day usage and practice 
 as to examinations would undoubtedly yield rich rettirns. The investigation 
 might well cover such phases of the question as: (l) the extent to irtiich 
 examinations are used as educational means in schools, colleges, or vmi- 
 versities, i.e., the nxnber and types of institutions so using them; 
 (2) to what rank or grade of students do they apply, whether graduates 
 
16. 
 
 or vaadergraduatas, or both; lower dlTision or upper dlTleion or both; 
 are any students exempt^ if so, what are conditions of exsaptiont 
 (3) the kind and number of courses in which they are giren; are they 
 used in some courses and not in others? in how nany used? not used? 
 names of courses; is it because of the nature of the course or the 
 attitude of the one in charge of the course that they are used or not 
 used? (4) the types of examinations giren, whether oral or written, 
 conprehensiTe or subject; (5) marks and markings: the value placed on 
 suoh examinations in determining the marks of students; the sereral 
 systaas of marking compared and evaluated; who marks the papers? (6) 
 frequency of examinations and length of examination periods; relative 
 proportion of total time of term or semester given to the holding of 
 •zaainations; (7) type and quality of questions asked, and the like. 
 These are some of the lines that an investigation into present practice 
 or the place examinations hold as educational moans today might well 
 take. 
 
 Ifearly all of the topics suggested would be capable of further 
 subdivision and expansion. To give a single illustration, under topic 
 (7) above, "type and qtjality of questions asked", one might well con- 
 sider such phases as (a) Whether the questions asked are thought pro- 
 voking; (b) •hethor they call for ap^^lication of previously learned 
 facts and principles; (c) Do they show any real planning in their pre- 
 paration, or is there evidence of their being Just thrown together? 
 (d) Do most of thna aake mere drafts on memory? (e) Is the character 
 of questions such as to induce proper study habits or modes of learning. 
 
17. 
 
 or Tlee versa? In fact, topic (7) would of itself be almost big enough 
 and ia^ortant enough to constitute a study by itself. One could Tery well 
 limit sttoh an inquiry into present usage to a single type of school , as 
 •ay either (1) public secondary schools; (2) pri-rate secondary schools; 
 (S) the usage in state unirersities; or (4) in private colleges and uni- 
 Tersities; or« (5) one might compare the practice in two or more of these. 
 
 These considerations of the problem of escaminations as educational 
 ■Mtns make it Iomb large and show the possibilities for research in the 
 subject. As already intimated, both the historical and present-practice 
 approaches to the question would have to be still further limited or re- 
 stricted in scope than the tentative outlines proposed might »e«m to 
 suggest. 
 
 A third study that might be made would be to consider the question, 
 "why do examinations persist?" The solution of this question would in a 
 measure combine the historical and the usage methods of attacking the 
 problem, but would go even farther and make us "give a reason for the 
 faith that is in us.** It would make us go over the whole ground again 
 and re-investigate the educational principles and theory or philosophy 
 underlying examinations. Fzaminations as educational means would have to 
 justify themselves or make room for something better. This might be 
 called the philosophical approach. 
 
 A fourth solution mif-ht be undertaken and an investigation begun 
 to determine the educational value of one type of examination as compared 
 with other kinds, by sone scientific or laboratory method. But many dif- 
 ficulties to this method persent themselves: (1) Examination methods are 
 
18. 
 
 ■o intlaately related to te&ohing methods, that one sight not be sure 
 irtxether he is really vraluating different ezaminatlonal methods or dif» 
 ferent methods of teaching; (2) in the experiaent the same (mb;]eet matter 
 irould he InTolved. This rould necessitate, (a) different groups for each 
 of the different examinational methods, iihioh would of Itself raise such 
 further diffloulties as the selection of the groups for the experiment; 
 and the control of the quality of instruction for each group; or (b) the 
 trying out of the different methods on the same group of students. But, 
 since different examinational ciethods are designed to measure different 
 things, no real basis of eoaparlson irould result from this direction. 
 Again, (3) if different groups of students vere used, aside from the dif- 
 ficulties already pointed out of selecting the students and of controlling 
 the qualities of Instruction for each group, since different types of ex- 
 aminations do not measure equally the same things, it would be difficult 
 to interpret the results obtained from the different groups. These are 
 a few of the difflcultiea that -would be in the way of the experiment, and 
 only go to show that the approach wotild be ftir from easy. And yet, these 
 difficulties may not be insurmountable and should not discourage an attenpt 
 at solution. Such experiments as hare been made in this direction have 
 been in the nature oL testing the retentlTe power of mmory resxilting frwn 
 different modes of learning, or of like character. 
 
 Still another attack on the problem would be to learn of the emo- 
 tional effects of the several types of examinations on those who take them 
 in college, and also the value they place on such examinations, an given 
 or stated by the students themselves. While it is recognised that the 
 
19. 
 
 eTldence thus oolleoted would not be oanoluBiTe. as much of it would be 
 ■ere opinion, or the judgments of more or less imiaature students. Yet 
 in the mass of teatiaony a feiw warped Judgments would have leas effoet 
 or weight, error would tend to be eliminated, and some significant 
 tendencies or results night appear. 
 
 It was this last approach to the probleai that was chosen, partly 
 because of the nature of the problem, and partly because there was no 
 literattire disooTerable on the self examination, it not having come into 
 any general or widespread use. Thus both the historical and the usage 
 approaches were practically closed. This same newnes!^ of the self examina- 
 tion also ruled out the third method of attack, while the lack of facilities 
 precluded us from considering the fourth method at this time. The fifth 
 method of solrlng the problem was also chosen because it was felt to be 
 a rather new approach to the irtiole quest! <ai of excuainatlons, and was re- 
 garded worthy of consideration. Since making the study, an investigation 
 or two partaking a little of the same nature as this study have been 
 brought to light. These latter investigations w«re made by Lobsien and 
 Plecher of Oeroany, and consisted of first, an investigation into the 
 difference in the amount of error by children working under normal condi- 
 tions and under examination conditions; and second, by Plecher alone, who 
 ■ought to learn to what extent conditions of anxiety were present in an 
 examination by having the children, some days after the official examina- 
 tion, prepare a so-called free essay in regard to school examinations." 
 
 * 
 
 Examinations, Cyclopedia of Education. 
 
20. 
 
 Haying set out the problen only in general terms, and haring 
 noted the possible vays of attacking it, it becomes neeeRsery to define 
 the probl^ someiffaat more specifically, to note or to describe the 
 method of solution adopted a little more fully and to indicate the source 
 of the data. 
 
 C. The Specific Problem . 
 
 The specific problem is the consideration of the self examination 
 aa educational means, and in the process, to compare it irith the usual 
 method of school ezam^ nations which in this instance we shall call the 
 "set" examination. In answer to the question, Vihy "set" examination?, 
 usage may hare some suggestions to offer. «^e have long spoken of the 
 examination being "set" in the sense of the place and time for it being 
 fixed, or the time being actually at hand and the examination being in 
 process. Again, we speak of "setting" the examination paper, meaning 
 thereby to prepare and arrange the questions for the name. He also say 
 that life after school is continually "setting" tests, i.e., is 
 giving us problems and is exacting solutions. ^Ve may think further of 
 the usual examination as being "set" in that it is determined for or re- 
 quired of the stxadent by some one else, — it is set for him. With its 
 form emd character he has nothing to do, neither with the quantity nor 
 quality of the questions has he anything to do. The situation is thus 
 "set" and he eunswers or attempts to answer a set of questions. It is 
 also "set" inasmuch as its limits are fixed or its scope determined by this 
 
 ▼ery "set" of qxiestions. 
 
 It is in the sense th«i that the usual exaadnation is organised and 
 held by acme one other than the student, its limits being marked out by the 
 questions asked, and the time and place for holding it being designated. 
 
21. 
 that we shallf for the purposes of this study, know the ub\i«.1 examina- 
 tion as the "set" exanination. 
 
 In the ease of the self examination, the situation is almost 
 exactly rerersed. The examination is not organized nor held by some one 
 else, but by the student himself. There are no prepared questions, and 
 the limits or scope of the examination is the ooxirse as a whole or so far 
 as already considered. The time and place for taking the examination are 
 of the student's own ohoosing. Perhaps the directions or instructions 
 giTsn at the time of announcing a self examination may help to explain 
 more fully its nature and character. 
 
 The instructions ran about as follows: 
 
 (1) This is to be a paper written outside of class, with the aid of your 
 
 notes, texts, and outside reading. 
 
 (2) The paper should show or contain: 
 
 (a) Tour interpretation of what to you are the significant points 
 
 or topics coTered in the oourse — your Tiews, opir.ions, 
 beliefs, or personal reactions. The thoughts you iiave been 
 thinking by virtue of the course. Be free to use any per- 
 tinent illustrations, whether from personal experience or 
 froa outside reading. « 
 
 (b) Taking Stock . If the oourse should end now, what would have 
 
 b-een its value to you? What are the high points, the things 
 that stick? What are the meaningftil things to you? What 
 have you gotten out of the course? 
 
 (o) Changes Effected in your views or thinking by reason of the 
 oourse; or any corroboration of your previous views or 
 beliefs, your agreements or disagresoents with the course 
 or parts of the oourne. 
 
 (d) Application . What are the applicable elements of the course? 
 
 How and where nay they be applied? With what consequences? 
 What application will you make of these things? How? 
 
 (5) Form, style, length, etc., of the manuscript. 
 
 (a) It will be permissible to give the paper a heading of your 
 
 own ohoosing and to write it in a personal way in the first 
 person. 
 
22. 
 
 (b) The paper should show organization and unity. It shoxild 
 begin soaevhere, should nove in a definite direction, 
 to sone definite goal. Tou should feel this. Itake the 
 paper a serious matter — a worthy effort. You should 
 feel that it is your best and that it has been worth 
 while ^en you are throtigh. 
 
 (o) How long shall the paper be? That will largely depend on 
 iHio you are, whether you hare anaeh or little to give* 
 It is not qiiantity but qtiality that counts most. 
 
 It would 'thus appear that mamt of the distinguishinc oharaoteristics 
 of the self examination a*-3: 
 
 (1) A aanusoript prepared outside of class. 
 
 (2) The responsibility of determining the significant or exaain- 
 able points is thrown on the student. 
 
 (S) The inclusion of only such points in the nanusoript as may 
 
 aeoa to the student to be most important. 
 
 (4) The free use of any or all aaterial bearing on the topic, from 
 whaterer source collected. 
 
 (5) It puts the enphasis on Interpretation instead of recall. 
 
 (6) It prorides for the special interest of the student in the 
 subject ~ for individual differences. 
 
 It is perhaps desirable at this point to distinguish the self ez- 
 aaination just explained or described above froa that other self examina- 
 tion irtiioh not a few students give thenselwea in preparation for the set 
 examination. This latter self examination is more or less of a self quis 
 for the purpose of raviewing certain subject matter. Its purpose further 
 is perhaps more to test the power to recall, in order to determine for 
 the candidate himself his own readiness or unread inenn to take a set ex- 
 amination. This sort of a self examination is in the main approved as a 
 worthy habit, and is analyzed in part hare only to show some of its points 
 of difference from the self examination that is the particular study 
 
23. 
 
 of this paper. It may be aaid here that the special object of the latter 
 self examination is to train in constz*uotive thinking, to develop the 
 power of disoriaiination> of judgment, of eraluation* It is to induce the 
 best efforts of the students by enlisting their interests. It enlists 
 'Uieir interests by giring them stock or proprietorship as it were, in the 
 coxirse. They are encouraged to inrest thenselTes in the process. 
 
 The rurpose then of this stiidy is to make at least a tentatiTe or 
 partial eTali»tion of the self examination as educational mcMins, to in- 
 quire into and to ascertain so fttr as possible to ii^at extent it is or is 
 not Tal\mble as such means. The method adopted to arrive at a solution of 
 the problem, together with the source of data will be taken up next. 
 
 D. Method and Source of Data. 
 
 The plan adopted was to study the effects of the two types of ex- 
 aminations, the set and self examination, on those who take ther in college} 
 and also to inquire into the value they place on each of the two types. 
 The effects studied were limited to two: (1) the effects on the emotions 
 of the students; and (2) the effects on their study habits. The nature 
 of the problem of course limited the inTesti-;ation to those who have taken 
 and consequently are familiar with both kinds of examinations. The in- 
 vestigation was lULde by means of a questionnaire, a copy of which is here 
 reproduced. 
 
 I. Some Phases of the Set Examinations . 
 
 1. Analyse or describe your feelings on hearing the smnouneement 
 
 that there would be an examination at a certain tine, 
 whether of resmitment, fright, fear, pleasure, joy, indif- 
 ference, etc. 
 
 2. Analyze or describe your feelings at hearing such an announoe- 
 
 mant in any other course. 
 
24. 
 
 5. Try to assign a cause why you feel that way toward tho 
 ■atter. Give such eaxwe. 
 
 4. Describe yo\ir method of study in preparing for such a test. 
 
 5. Does yoxir method in preparing for a test differ from your 
 
 usual method of study? If so, describe the points of 
 difference. 
 
 6. Evaluate your method of study in preparing for a test as 
 
 ooiqfMired with your usual method of study. 
 
 7. Describe your feelings at the time of taking the test, whether 
 
 fright, fear, joy, pleasure, indifference, etc. 
 
 8. Are you usually nerrous on such an occasion? Why or why not? 
 
 9. liihat is the value of such written tests, as you see it? Give 
 
 reasons for your answer. 
 
 10. ffhat, if anything, is wrong with such written tests? 
 
 11. Suggest ways and means of improving examinational methods. 
 
 II. Some Phases of the Self Examination . 
 
 1. Analyse or describe your feelings on hearing the announcement 
 
 that you will be expected to present a manusoript pre- 
 pared as a self examination at a certain time, whether of 
 resentment, fright, fear, pleasure, joy, indifference, etc. 
 
 2. Try to assign a cause for feeling as you did toward the matter. 
 
 Give the cauRe. 
 
 8. Describe yotir method of study in preparing a self examination 
 manuscript. 
 
 4. Does your method of study in preparing a self examination 
 
 manuscript differ from your usual study method? If so, 
 describe the points of difference. 
 
 5. If your method of study in preparing a self examination 
 
 manuscript is different from your usual method, evaluate 
 your method in preparing the self examination manuscript 
 as compared with your usual method. 
 
 6. Describe your feelings at the time of preparing the self ex- 
 
 amination manuscript whether of resentment, fright, fear, 
 joy, pleasure, indifference, etc. 
 
25. 
 
 7. Wer« you nerrous i^en you prepared the eelf examination manu- 
 
 soript? ishy or why not? 
 
 8. What is the value of the self exsaination method as you see 
 
 it? Give both the strong and weak points of the method. 
 
 9. Compare the method of self examination with the usiml set 
 
 examination. 
 
 10. niat would be the probable effeot on your study habits if 
 
 the method of the self examination should oome into general 
 use? Why? 
 
 11. What would be the probable effect on your aaBoryf Why? 
 
 The structure or make-up of the questionnaire should be explained. 
 The procedure in s<>^ns i^bout to hold an examination is about as follows: 
 (1) the announomMnt of an examination to be held at a certain time and 
 place; (2) the time interTenin^; between the announcement and the examina- 
 tion, used by the studwnts to prepare for the erent; and (3) the examina- 
 tion itself. It will be noted that the questionnaire roughly falls into 
 four parts. First, there are the feelings at the time of the announcement, 
 the examination in prospect; second, there is the preparation for the ex- 
 amination; third, there are the feelings at the time of the examination in 
 process; and fourth, we baTe an eYaluation of the method of the examination. 
 
 In addition to ai^ specific or individual weaknesses of the particu- 
 lar questionnaire, the usual objections to the questionnaire method of in- 
 Testigation may all apply. This matter will be discussed at another place. 
 Let it be said that the purpose was to learn, so far as possible, the 
 actual situation, or exactly what was in the mindn of the students, and 
 not to derelop or to secure testimony of a certain kind. 
 
 The instructions or directions given at the time of issuing the 
 questionnaire will further illustrate the piirpose and method. All of the 
 
26. 
 
 questionnaires « except eleven, were issued by the writer in person. The 
 eleven were issued by a personal letter from the writer. 
 The directions were as follows: 
 
 (1) Nuaber your answers to correspond to the respeotiTO questions. 
 
 (2) Answer each question. 
 
 (3) Keep your answers to the two sets of questions separate and 
 
 distinct. 
 
 (4) Be as brief as possible with your answers. 
 
 (5) In describing your feelings or attitudes toward examinations, 
 
 do not limit yourself to the descriptive terms given in 
 the questions. Notice the "etc". 
 
 (6) Oive your own thoughts or feelings just as they are or have 
 
 been in the matter. 
 
 (7) Interpret "tests'* as meaning either mid-term or final examina« 
 
 tions. 
 
 (8) It will not be necessary to sign your paper, if for any reason 
 
 you shovild prefer not to do so. 
 
 The plan originally was for the investigpitor to give a set examina- 
 tion, later to be followed by a self examination, to all the students of 
 whom inquiry was being made. But after investigating a few oa-ses, and 
 after learning that the replies to question 2. of Part I. were essential- 
 ly the same as to question 1., question 2. was thereafter struck out, 
 and question 1. so modified as to read, "in any course". It should be 
 further stated that questions 10. and 11. of Part II., were added to the 
 original questionnaire, after the first few investigatl<ms. 
 
 As to the nianber of questionnaires issued, and the group from whom 
 inquiry was made and replies received, it may be said, first, that the 
 questionnaires were given out only to students in the University of Cali- 
 fornia, in courses conducted by the writer, both in the re^iiular semesters 
 
27. 
 
 of 1919 - 1920, and In the svamer session of 1920. Second, students in 
 
 the following courses and seoeaters are represented in the inTestigation, 
 
 vith the number of replies reoeiTed from each* 
 
 Number Replies 
 Courses Seaesters Enrolled Receired 
 
 History of American Education Aug. - Deo., 1919 20 11 
 
 History of American Education Jan. - Uay, 1920 81 51 
 
 Rural School SuperTision Jan. - May, 1920 12 6 
 
 Principles of Teaching SuBser Session, 1920 14 10 
 
 Rural Sooioloor Suamer Session, 1920 21 10 
 
 Principles of Secondary 
 
 Education Aug. - Deo., 1920 47 38 
 
 Sural School Organisation 
 
 and Administration Aug. - Dec, 1920 16 13 
 
 Total 160 119 
 
 Counted twice 17 
 
 Different Students 143 / 
 
 Third, as to status in the UniTersity of those from whom replies 
 
 were reeeired, and their distribution as to sex we hare: 
 
 Juniors 30 
 
 Seniors 53 
 
 Oraduate students .... 33 Men ..... 38 
 
 Special students .... 5 Wamen .... 66 
 
 Total 119 Total . . 119 
 
 Fourth, in the matter of class standings, or marks received, with 
 
 the nmber reeeiTing each mark were: 
 
 I's 26 
 
 II 's 79 
 
 III'« 14 
 
 Total 119 
 
 Practically all signed their replies and the few who did not attach 
 
28. 
 
 their signatures m were able to identify by other means. 
 
 The chief interest in ifhat follows oenters in the group study, or 
 ■ass testimony, and does not attempt to make a case study beyond what has 
 already been done. 
 
 In the following chapters there will be considered the data, first, 
 as to the set examination and its interpretation; second, that of the self 
 ezcuaination; after which the smmaries of the data of the two question- 
 naires will be brought together in a separate chapter for comparison, con- 
 cluding with a final chapter on the net results of the study, with such 
 conclusions, criticisms, and suggestions as the data may seem to warrant. 
 
29.. 
 
 CHAPTER IT. 
 DATA OH THE SET EXAMIHATION WITH IHIERPRBTATIOW. 
 
 A* Qaneral Statement . 
 
 Part I. of the questionnaire, "Soim Phases of the Set Ezaaination", 
 falls naturally under four heada« as follovR: 
 
 (1) The feelings at hearing the announoeamtit of an ezamination* 
 
 with causes. 
 
 (2) The nethod of study for* and an eraluation of the same. 
 
 (S) The feelings at the time of taking the examination. 
 
 (4) An eTnluation of the set examination with suggestions for 
 improTement. 
 
 The plan will be to giro the summaries and interpretations by such 
 groups, rather than by individual questions, or merely a general interpre- 
 tation of the whole. There we^^e one hundred sixteen replies to Part I. of 
 the questionnaire. 
 
 B. Feelings at AnnoTineement and Causes. 
 
 The questions of the first group were: 
 
 1. "Analyze or describe your feelings on hearing the announcement 
 in any course that there would be an examination at a 
 certain time, whether of resentment, fright, fear, 
 pleasure, joy, indifference, etc." 
 
 3. "Try to assign a cause why you feel that way toward the matter. 
 OiTe such cause." 
 
 There were one hundred fifteen replies to these questions. Fifty- 
 
 •ight, or about one-half, expressed a fariety of or mixed feelings, Tarying 
 
 somewhat with the course, the professor, or their own particular mood or 
 
 physical state at the time. 
 
50. 
 
 The terms xised by the students in describing or designating their 
 feelings or attitudes , were olassified under the three headings, fsTorable, 
 unfaTorable« and indefinite or neutral. 
 
 As to the basis of classification, let it be said, in general, 
 that the accepted meaning of the desoriptire term used i*as taken as such 
 basis; e.g., the following group of words, pleasure, fear, indifference, 
 was olassified as faworable, imfaTorable, and indefinite or neutral, 
 respectiTely. But the classification of such terms as wonder, reli&wed, 
 surprised, is not so easy. In this case, the causes giren were permitted 
 to determine the classification. 
 
 There were in all one hundred nine different terms used, and divided 
 
 as follows: 
 
 Farorable 20 
 
 UnfaTorable 76 
 
 Indefinite or Neutral .... 15 
 
 Total 109 
 
 Of the favorable terms, only one was used more than twice, "pleasure**, 
 
 which occurred ten times. Each of the following occurred twice, curious 
 
 or curiosity, joy, satisfied, and welcome. The remaining fifteen terms 
 
 were used but once each. They were: 
 
 acceptable glad ready 
 
 confidence helpful realization of the 
 
 competition interested need of a great 
 
 examinations of liked deal of review 
 
 considerable looked forward speculation 
 
 help to wonder 
 
 expectant desire perfectly safe 
 
SI. 
 
 The causes for these faTorable feelings or attiitides arrange 
 themselTes at moat toider six heads « as follows t 
 
 (1) Interest and pleasure in the subject, etc 9 
 
 (2) Opporttinity to reriew ..• 9 
 
 (3) Curiosity and speculation 5 
 
 (4) Joy of competition •• •..••..• S 
 
 (5) Opportunity to learn class standing ........ 2 
 
 (6) Opportunity for expression 2 
 
 Some of the typical interesting causes for these feelings were 
 giTen as: 
 
 "Smm teachers always managed to gire the impression that the ex> 
 aminations they gare were meant to be helpful to us in mastering the sub- 
 ject. These were the ones irtiose examinations I liked to take.** 
 
 '*0n only one occasion. The teacher was an outstanding exception 
 to the usual college professor and the subject was presented in a masterly 
 manner, which accounts for ny extraordinary feeling.** 
 
 "it giren me an opportunity to reriew and correlate the work," 
 
 "To know the kind, that is, how the subject will be approached." 
 
 "Enjoy eoBq)eting with my classmates." 
 
 "I assumed that he co\ildn*t ask a reasonable examination that I 
 couldn't pass, and I tried to proTe it." 
 
 "To know where I stand in class according to the professor." 
 
 "I can write a fairly good paper." 
 
 The unfaTorable terms occurring ten or more times were: 
 
 Fear, fearful 46 Worry, worried ..... 13 
 
 Resentful, resentment . 54 Nervous, nerrousness . . 11 
 
 Dread, dreadful .... 17 Anxiety, anxious .... 10 
 
 Fright, frightened ... 16 
 
S2. 
 
 Those used from two to fire times were: 
 
 Uneasy, un«M.sines8 • • • 5 
 
 Disgust S 
 
 Neoessary evil 3 
 
 Suspense ........S 
 
 Afraid 2 
 
 Despair .••••. •••2 
 
 Disagreeable 2 
 
 Displeastire •••... 2 
 Resignation •••... 2 
 Terrified, terror ... 2 
 
 A large list of terms were used but onoe eaoh. The list is: 
 
 Angry 
 
 Anguish 
 
 Annoyanoe 
 
 Antagonism 
 
 Boredom 
 
 Burden 
 
 Depression 
 
 Desperation 
 
 Disapprofal 
 
 Disoomfort 
 
 Discouraged 
 
 Dislike 
 
 Dismay 
 
 Disturbed 
 
 Drudgery 
 
 Excitement 
 
 Fatigue 
 
 Qoing down a 
 swift ele- 
 Tator, heart 
 sesms to Jump 
 into my throat. 
 
 Heayy heart 
 
 Impetus to reriew 
 or oram. 
 
 In spirit of pre- 
 destination 
 Irrationality 
 Irritation 
 Loathe exaaiinations 
 Mental torture 
 Reed of oraaming 
 ■oTer joy 
 Hot pleasure 
 Huisanoe 
 Oh horrors 
 Oh dear, another 
 
 old examination 
 Opposition 
 On the defensira 
 Orerwhelmed 
 Panicky 
 Paralyzed 
 
 Petrified with fear 
 RelieTed 
 Scared to death 
 Sense of injustice 
 Shock 
 Sickness 
 Sinking 
 
 Slight perturbation 
 Something to be 
 
 endured 
 Subnission 
 Succumbing to the 
 
 ineri table 
 Taking on an extra 
 
 burden 
 Tension 
 Tiiddity 
 Trembling 
 Trusting to an abno- 
 
 lutely unknown, 
 
 unchangeable, 
 
 irreTocable fate. 
 Uncertainty 
 
 Unpleasant amticipation 
 Unstrung 
 Up in the air 
 Upset 
 
 Utterly at sea 
 Wish that it was ower. 
 
 A amumry of the causes for the unfarorable feelings gires us 
 the following list of those used fire or more times. 
 
 (1) Fear of failing 70 
 
 (2) Amount of work or character of 
 
 study required ...40 
 
 (5) Uncertainty 
 
 (a) as to questions ...... 38 
 
 (b) as to marks ..19 
 
 (o) general ....10 
 
 (d). form required 1 
 
83. 
 
 (4) Lack of tlBW 16 
 
 5) Unfairness of examination. •••...•••14 
 ^) Examination* instrum«nt of torttir* • . . • • 6 
 
 (7) Poor qiiality of teaching .......... 5 
 
 (8) Due to nervousness ...••.. 5 
 
 \ 
 
 Those oauses given fewer than fire times were: 
 
 (1) General attitude of students and teachers. . 4 
 
 (2) Dislike or disapproval of examinations ... 4 
 
 (3) Examinations inevitable 3 
 
 (4) No interest in course ..... 2 
 
 (5) State of health 2 
 
 (6) Shock 1 
 
 (7) Threats from teacher ..••••••.••• 1 
 
 8) Various reasons ..•...••.••••• 1 
 
 9) Worst had happened .•••••••••••• 1 
 
 [ 
 
 N 
 
 It would perhaps be unprofitable and would require too much 
 space to give all the different statements of oauses for these un- 
 favorable feelings toward the set examination^ varying chiefly only 
 as to form of expression, rather than content or metuiing, as the 
 elassifioation above would indicate. However, a few representativ* 
 or interesting forms will not be without value here. 
 
 "Fear of failing. Fear of not getting down in my notes what 
 will be called for by the examiner. Fear of not getting a good grade. 
 
 "Lest I may forget this or that." 
 
 "Had two examinations and two papers assi^ed for that day." 
 
 "The lecture system tends to turn one into a sponge with a lot 
 of absorbed but imassimilated matter." 
 
 "I realize that I must, study and cram into my brain a lot of 
 facts, more or less unccmnected of more or less importance and without 
 the time to pick out and figure out what is most interesting and which 
 has some cwinections with the things about bm." 
 
 "The awfiil uncertainty of what to expect." 
 
34. 
 
 '*Ho8t examinations are a natter of luok and cme ean only prepare 
 for a relatirely siaall number of the questions that oould be asked.** 
 
 "The principles of examining vary with each individual professor* 
 There is no standard for preparation for an examination* and one isay be 
 unaware of the point of Tiew of smother. " 
 
 "That a set of trrltten question* Bight possibly Inolude a minor 
 point for whioh major credit might be glTen."* 
 
 "Due to the system of grading by the average instructor." 
 
 "The final aark depends too much <m the element of ehanoe." 
 
 "We need good grades for good reen— endati ons so we dread examina- 
 
 tions." 
 
 "Lest I should not have time to prepare." 
 
 "That I may not be able to finish everything in time." 
 
 "Host examinations cover the ground very poorly* are a doubtful 
 means of determining what any certain person knows abotrt a course and 
 often are simply a memory test of unimportant details given tinder the 
 assumption that if the student can answer these he can give the correct 
 answers to all the rest of the information giv«i in the course." 
 
 "The examination is an instrument of torture." 
 
 "GFeneral attitude of most students amd teachers that an examination 
 la something to be feared and dreaded." 
 
 "Remnant of old group fear. From earliest school days children 
 •oh' and *ah' in fearful whispers at the thought of an examination. In 
 the mind of a sensitive child* this grot^ expression becomes the cause 
 of real terror." 
 
 "Against the mode and kind of examlnati<ms given. There are 
 examinations and examinaticmsj which although they are under the same 
 system* are very different." 
 
 "Due to my nattural dislike of examination or anything pertaining 
 to a final." 
 
 "To study for an examination creates a loathing for the coiu*se." 
 
 "Sometimes due to my own physical condition* sometimes it was the 
 effect the instructor had on me." 
 
 This sentlaent was expressed by a Phi Beta Kappa student. 
 
85. 
 
 "I do not aliways know how the teacher likes the oatter expresBed." 
 
 "Soaw teachers seem to want to show us up, and spring * catch ques- 
 tions' on us." 
 
 "■•eessary to the prooess of education and the only thing to do is 
 to meet it half way and knook it cold.** 
 
 N 
 
 Relieved that the worst had finally happened, and I knew ^ust when 
 
 it was to be given 
 
 n 
 
 * 
 
 The indefinite or neutral terms were thirteen in all, four of which 
 
 were used two or more times. 
 
 Indifferenoe, indifferent ........ 41 
 
 Surprise, stirprised 5 
 
 Relieved 2 
 
 As a matter of course 2 
 
 The other nine, used but onoe each, were: 
 
 Don't «are Of more work to do Take it and do what you 
 
 Hatural course of things Part of the work can with it 
 
 lever joyous Something that's got Taking on an extra re* 
 
 to be done sponsibllity 
 
 Usxial assignment 
 
 The oai»es for these Indefinite or neutral feelings classify as 
 
 followa: 
 
 (1) Fjcandnations mxist cone, or used to 24 
 
 (2) Due to character or presentation of course 6 
 (5) Due to method of preparation for 4 
 
 (4) Indifference to grades 5 
 
 (5) Stirprised at word examination 1 
 
 (6) Time allowed 8 
 
 Some of the more striking or characteristic causes given were: 
 
 "It puts me to no more trouble than a daily lesson." 
 
 "Due to a habit formed in grammar school and never changed, of 
 studying daily throughout the term but of doing no extra studying for 
 examinations." 
 
 The expression of another Phi Beta Kappa studmit. 
 
56. 
 
 "HaTing done my work each day and having taken from It the things 
 that irore vital to me, my work is done." 
 
 "Constant exposxire -co danger eauses indifference." 
 
 "From the ealloxisness produced by ay preTlous experiences •— the 
 indifference of the ox to the yoke." 
 
 "An examination of soma sort nruat come sooner or later, and the 
 sooner the better." 
 
 "Hothing better cotdd be e3q>eoted. What's the use of worrying?" 
 
 "I have never been able to regard ezamiaations as matters of as 
 fatal seriousness as some folks do." 
 
 "I feel that I'm powerless to change the questions and since I 
 can only do the best possible t^en I take the exam, it is needless to 
 fret beforehand." 
 
 "?ihen I haTS done mf work oonsei«ntiously, I am generally fairly 
 •wr* I can answer the questions in the examination. I care very little 
 whether I get a one or a two or even a three. " 
 
 "Examinations do not mean much to me because, although I value m 
 good grade, I- do not make the obtaining of a grade my goal." 
 
 "The grades given in many cases had no relationship to the efforts 
 put forth in writing the paper and the material contained in it." 
 
 "To m* Just the word in itself surprises ■••" 
 
 "I have the time to prepare." 
 
 While about fifty per cent, of the replies expressed varied or 
 mixed feelings toward axasdnations at times, yet their several feelings 
 or attitudes were predominantly unfavorable to the set examination, as 
 the foregoing data plainly show. To the data classified as unfavorable 
 there might have been added much of the data classed as indefinite or 
 neutral. In fact if any situation or educational means arouses only an 
 indefinite response, or if the attitude toward it is neutral or indif« 
 ferent, especially if such means or situation is expected or intended 
 
ST. 
 
 to create or to aeaeure definite responses* then such indefinite or 
 neutral attitudes or feelings aight themselTes be regarded as unfaror- 
 able, and the set examination as perhaps failing to that additional 
 degree. It woiild seem fair to conclude from the data presented that 
 the set ezaoination as eduoational aeans is really very questicmable, 
 and shotdd be seriously investigated. 
 
 C. Habits of Study and their Value . 
 
 The aeeond natural group of questions, 4, 5« and 6« takes up the 
 students* habits of study in preparing for a set examination, and the 
 values the students themselves place on soeh methods of sttidy. The 
 respective questions are: 
 
 4. Describe your method of study in preparing for such a test. 
 
 5. Does your method in preparing for a test differ from your 
 
 usual method of study? If so, describe the points of 
 difference. 
 
 6. Evaluate your method of study in preparing for a test as 
 
 eompared vith your usual method of study. 
 
 The studttits' answers to question 4, on the lAiole, shoved no 
 
 consistent or proper method of study in general use. The methods and 
 
 the number of times eaeh iias described vere: 
 
 Cram 17 
 
 Memorise .29 
 
 Outline: 
 
 In detail 8 
 
 In general 30 
 
 Review (irithout outline) : 
 
 In detail 39 
 
 In general 85 
 
St. 
 
 Select: 
 
 Likely questions • 21 
 
 Uaiin points 42 
 
 Their aim weak points ..... 5 
 
 Suit method to professor 4 
 
 Work out development and correla- 
 tion to get perspectlTO, in 
 order to permit reasoning ... 24 
 
 Visualize position on page .... 3 
 
 The summary is read after this manner. Seventeen definitely said 
 that they eram, twenty-nine menwrixe, and so on. The terms not all be- 
 ing mutually exclusive, it is not easy to interpret the restilts. How- 
 ever, even by the strictest interpretation, the mass of evidence may be 
 regarded as "oramming" or **boning up" and nothii^ more. To the majority 
 of students these are not the terms uaed to describe true study, but 
 represent methods or devices adopted for the purpose of "getting by*. 
 
 The set examination does not, therefore, seem to encourage proper 
 study habits. 
 
 To question 5, ninety-t-wo replied that their method cf study in 
 preparing for a t=;st differs from their usual method of st\«iy, whil« 
 twKity-three said there was no difference between the two. In speaking 
 of their study for examinations, they confessed as follows: 
 
 Cram 45 
 
 Hore thoughtful and as a whole 22 
 
 Indefinite 4 
 
s». 
 
 Of their usual study they said: 
 
 Consider Important, related points 
 with applications, more thought- 
 ful 26 
 
 Do not cram 4 
 
 Co not worry 3 
 
 Follow own Interests 11 
 
 OIts aore time 6 
 
 Kenorlze 1 
 
 More pl«as\u*able S 
 
 Outline 1 
 
 Do not outline 8 
 
 Study more in detail ......... 18 
 
 Take aore notes 2 
 
 Indefinite 5 
 
 Musple statements describing their study for examinations 
 
 are: 
 
 "Cram frantically. " 
 
 '*Hasty« unassimllated mental gorging." 
 
 "lUmorlse all of the professional leottires In one night. After 
 the examination I just as proinptly set out to forget then." 
 
 "Vsaorlze the points I have reason to think will be asked, (linileh 
 Is ay way of oheatlng. I forget them within a week.)" 
 
 "study much harder. Try to relate the different parts, to pick out 
 the essentials." 
 
 "Try to organise gathered data into oertain groups or lines of 
 derel opment • " 
 
 "More systenatio, due to the fact that I leeTe the organisation 
 of the sub;}ect till I am ready to study for examination." 
 
 Of their usual study, the following are Interesting and InstruetlTe: 
 
 "Do It leisurely, reading rather closely and stopping to apply the 
 theories to instances in ay own experience." 
 
 "Read other authors beside text, trying to get various Ideas and 
 relating them to my prerious conceptions. Try to think of value and use 
 of course." 
 
 "What is the use stiidying this lesson In detail, for I shall have 
 
40. 
 
 to go all orer it again in studying for an examination. Just read. Rarely 
 take notes, wbtb there not ezaroinations to look forward to, I would taJce 
 sore interest in preparing each day's lesson." 
 
 "Try to get new ideas. 
 
 1. More leisurely. 
 
 2* More for personal interest and pleasure. 
 
 5« On points direot personal interest. 
 
 4. Lead forward by interest. 
 
 5. Ifore thought and inTestigatian." 
 
 In evaluating their methods of stxidy in preparation for an exaodna- 
 
 tlon as cosqpared with their usual study as per question 6, the Tote stood: 
 
 Eanuaination study more raluable . . 24 
 
 Usual study •••••56 
 
 The two of equal value 17 
 
 Both wrong 1 
 
 Indefinite 17 
 
 The reasons given by those oonsidering the study for examinations 
 BU>re valuable fell wider the heads of (1) more oonoentrated study; (2) 
 ■ore coaqsrehensive view of the subject; with (3) consequent greater unity. 
 That the usual method of study was superior was asserted because (1) it 
 was without araamlng, mentioned by twenty^five; (2) that it was more 
 leisurely; (S) more interesting; and (4) more thoughtful. Those that 
 thoiight both methods of equal value did not, of oourne, coapare them. 
 The one who declared both methods wrong, a Phi Beta Kappa student, said 
 that both methods "lack fixating repetition." 
 
 The evidence in the datr of questions 4, 6, and 6, seams again so 
 plain that "he who runs may read." It may seriously be questioned, in 
 view of the fact that ninety-two students in question 6, acknowledged a 
 difference between their methods of study for examination and their usual 
 study, whether they have any real method of study at all. It would ammm 
 
41. 
 
 fair to assuBM that if their method Is now one thing and now another, 
 it id not and eannot be either a method or habit of any real 'value. Of 
 the ninety-two, a laajority were sure that their uaual method of study 
 was the more Taluable; or, to put it the other way, that their study for 
 •xaaination was the less valuable. This agrees with the facts in the 
 replies to number 6, in which fifty-six, a large plurality of the total, 
 agreed that their usual method was the more valuable. 
 
 It will be noted how the data in numbers 4, 5, and 6, corroborate 
 or substantiate each other, by serving as oheoks the one on the other* 
 
 Tiewed thus from the standpoint of inculcating proper habits of 
 st\idy, the set examination woiild seem to be relatively ineffective. 
 
 D. Feelings at Taking Examination . 
 
 The feelings of the studmits at the time of taking the set examina- 
 tion were described in questions 7 and 8. In order that we may have these 
 wmll in mind it will be proper to restate them. 
 
 7. Desoribe your feelings at the time of taking the test, whether 
 
 of fright, fear, joy, pleasure, indifference, etc. 
 
 8. Are you usually nervous on such an occasion? Why or idiy not? 
 It will be noted that in question 7, the cause or causes for their 
 
 feelings ware not asked, and yet in most instances the causes were given. 
 Sixty-six students in all expressed a variety of or mixed feelings. The 
 descriptive terms were again divided into favorable, unfavorable, and 
 indefinite or neutreCL. The favorable list was comprised of twenty dif- 
 ferent terms. 
 
42. 
 
 Those used two or more times were: 
 
 Pleasure 10 Satisfaction, satisfied . . S 
 
 Confident, confidence . . 6 Eagerness 2 
 
 Joy, joyous 6 Exhileration 2 
 
 Calm S 
 
 The remaining thirteen terms appeared but once each: 
 
 Anticipation Jubilation 
 
 At ease Like it 
 
 Delight Looking forward to 
 
 Desire to show how muoh Optimistic 
 
 I know Personal responsibility 
 
 Pun to write Pride 
 
 Glad 
 "Here's the thing I 'ye been boning for — the thing I 're got to 
 kill in order to get a good mark. Let*s go." 
 
 The oatisefl giTen for these favorable feelings were due to, (l) if 
 the examination was fair; (2) if they knew the anrwers to the questions 
 or felt well prepared; (5) desire to make good. Reasons (2) and (3) pre- 
 dominated, (2) being given fourteen times, and (S) eight times. The 
 first reason was mentioned three times. 
 
 Of the unfavorable terms there were thirty-eight, nine of which 
 
 were met with five or more times, as followst 
 
 Fear ... 29 Excited, excitement. . 11 Bread ..... S 
 
 Nervous, nervousness .23 Kesentment . 9 Suspense .... 5 
 
 Fright, frightened . .15 Anxiety 7 Worried .... 6 
 
 There were seven terms that occurred from two to four times: 
 
 Afraid 4 Relief S 
 
 Despair .2 Resignation, resigned . S 
 
 Disgust ...... 2 Tenseness, cension ... 4 
 
 Indignation .... 2 
 
 The tw«nty*two remaining terms were employed but once each: 
 
43. 
 
 Anger Displeasure Not pleasitre 
 
 As if I -were sitting on Everything but pleftsure P«tnic 
 
 a bed of oaotus tied forced Pertiirbed 
 
 hand and foot doing Illness Feckless 
 
 penance for an edu- Irritated Reconciled 
 
 cation Hot at ease Biish 
 
 Blind panic Mot in happy state of Sore 
 
 Disaay mind Uncertainty 
 
 NeTer joy or pleasure Weepy 
 
 Wish the "ex" were orer 
 
 Fear of failing* either because of the kind of questions or the 
 
 lack of time to finish, again is uppermost in the minds of the students 
 
 as the chief cause of their feelings, it being given sixty-five times. 
 
 The remaining causes are a miscellaneous lot, such as: 
 
 "Afraid to look to right or left for fear I may bo accused of 
 cheating. " 
 
 "To get rid of a bad job." 
 
 "As soon as examination questions are put into my hand, as it 
 never scMied so difficult as I had expected it to be." 
 
 "Disgust at the manner in which the examination was presented." 
 
 "nervous from anticipation somewhat akin to entering an athletic 
 contest." 
 
 "Sore, if I have overlooked sobw obvious point." 
 
 As to the fear of failing, we have such expressions as: 
 
 "Fear that I might not know the ariswers. I have received as high 
 as 98 and have gone home and been put to bed with nervous exhaustion." 
 
 "Hands shake so I can hardly write, eyes twitch so I can hardly 
 read, head aches » so ny words are a confused blur." 
 
 "what is to be will be, and with a little prayer that I may say 
 the right thing, I go in and do the best I can." 
 
 "I regard any set examination a gamble. I have never seemed to 
 outgrow it, and I am now a senior at college." 
 
44. 
 
 EleTon terms vare classed as indefinite or neutral, mly two of 
 
 irtiioh appeared two or more times: 
 
 Indifference, indifferent .... 24 
 HaTe no time for feelings .... 2 
 
 Those used but once each were: 
 
 A* a matter of course Precaution 
 
 Do not worry Shame 
 
 Inertia Surprised 
 
 VeTer rery alarmed Wish I were an encyclopedia 
 
 lo fear 
 
 A^in, it was more or less of a fatalistic attitude that pre- 
 dominated in the causes or reasons for these feelings, such as "do the 
 best I can" which was listed six times. This attitude is well expressed 
 in the samples: 
 
 "Do the best I can, and forget it all directly after the test." 
 "The test is here, and I must make the best of it." 
 The other causes were such as, (1) plenty of time; and (2) nature 
 of course or examination questions; i.e., easy. 
 
 As to whether or not they were nerrous at the time of taking an 
 examination, the rote stood: 
 
 Yes 76 
 
 Ho 57 
 
 Both "yes" and "no" . . 4 
 
 Total ... 116 
 A tabulation shows that the strain of fear of failing beoause of 
 the nature of questions or lack of time to finish, or physical condition 
 la again responsible for such nerTousness in the large majority of the 
 seTenty-five cases. It being mentioned sixty-fire times out of a total of 
 
4K. 
 
 •IghtyfiTS. Th« other twenty distribute theoselTea among suoh causes 
 as, (1) the newness of the situation^ being the first examination in 
 that particular covirse or vith that particular professor; (2) realisa- 
 tion that the hour has come for vhich preparation tms made; (5) the idea 
 of a contest, or of undertaking something important; (4) amount of vork 
 in writing required; or (5) Just a natural tendency to be nerrous. 
 A fev of the specific causes will hare interest for us. 
 
 "Hare never failed in a grade or course, but am just as afraid as 
 if I had noTer passed a grade." 
 
 "Fearing I shall not haye time to finish, or that the reader is 
 sleepy when reading my paper." 
 
 "Perhaps it is for fear that I will not pass. I worried so much 
 about the state examination when I was in the eighth grade that ever 
 since that time I have rather dreaded the namm." 
 
 "Due to fear, dread, late and intense study, loss of sleep, not 
 eating properly, and drinking coffee." 
 
 "Dim to the fact that I realise *now is the time*. Vjf whole 
 energies have been at work preparing for this *time* and when it arrires, 
 I feel it all over." 
 
 "Dread the ordeal for so long and lest my memory fail and I bo 
 sent homm in disgrace." 
 
 "I hare usually spent so much time in preparation the day and night 
 before that I hare worried myself into a state of nervousness." 
 
 "The mere word examination sends a shock to ny whole nerrous 
 system, probably because I recall how I felt while taking certain examina- 
 tions and am afraid the next one will be like it." 
 
 "llai^ times my mind has been a perfect blank during the hoxxr of 
 examination." 
 
 As said, thirty*seTen Toted "no" on question 8. HowcTer, this 
 
 was not an absolute "no", as not fewer than fifteen showed by the reasons 
 
 or causes given, that it was really a qualified "no" that they wore voting. 
 
46. 
 
 Suoh an«irars as these olsarly indicate this: 
 
 "But a hit ezoited — an examination usually determines your oark." 
 
 "With time I usually get nerrous, due to mental and nerrous fatigue." 
 
 "if test is irithin the limits of time and my oomprehension." 
 
 "If we oan answer all of the questions." 
 
 Besides the fifteon that Toted qualified "noes"« five acknowledged 
 
 to nerrousness just prior to the examination « or in til seeing the questions. 
 
 The causes offered as reasons for their lack of nervousness mrrange them- 
 
 selves under. 
 
 Indifference (natural or acquired) ... 18 
 
 Confidenoe in ability to pass IS 
 
 If time enough • 7 
 
 Only at first 7 
 
 A few typical statements given as reasons for the absence of a 
 
 nervous conditio follow: 
 
 "Am used to the idea of having examinations." 
 
 "If I know it I can write it. If I do not« it is too late to 
 worry. " 
 
 Have often found it impossible to eat before such a test, and 
 too exhau^d to sleep afterwards." 
 
 A 
 
 "Confidence in my ability with respect for the other's ability 
 also." 
 
 "Have foimd that such a condition is quite fatal to any success." 
 
 "Scmetimes I become nervous thinking aboxtt the test prior to 
 
 taking. 
 
 "Probably because I hardly ever failed in one, and because I have 
 never felt it would be a dire calamity to fail." 
 
 "It must have been on accotmt of my nationality. Km are not 
 supposed to have nerves. Perhaps the extensive use of a leather strap 
 in early school days had some effect. We knew we had to stand it, so 
 why worry." 
 
47. 
 
 "What preparation I haTS made siaply has to aufflee. Ifo use of 
 worrying at that late hovur." 
 
 "Too aany of my friends present irtio are apparently brarely 
 'faolng the musle«* so vhy shouldn't I? The soldier going 'orer the 
 top* forgets his nerrousness In the spirit of fellow feeling with the 
 awn who surround him,'* 
 
 The data presented In question number eight would seem to indioate 
 that the statement sonetiJMa made that set examinations are necessary in 
 order to aooustom students to meet and to adjust th«aselTes to crises, 
 thereby asouming that set examinaticms thus effectirely do accustom and 
 habituate students to SAet and to deal with such crises, is unfounded 
 and not true to the facts. ScTenty-flTe students said definitely that 
 they were nerrous cm such occasions, four said both '*yes'* and "no", and 
 fifteen answered with a condition or qualification, so that in effect, 
 ninety-four students acknowledge to such nerrousness, leaving only twenty- 
 two students out of the total <me hundred and sixteen, or only about 
 nineteen per cent vho answered unequiTooally "no". In other words, more 
 than eighty-one per cent of the students acknowledged nerTousness (m the 
 occasion of set examinations. The eridenoe at least makes the claim that 
 set examinations are effeotlTO means in preparation for the crises of life, 
 questionable. 
 
 The replies of the students to this dirision of the questionnaire, 
 the state of feelings at the time of taking an examination, corroborate and 
 aubstantlate the findings in the first group of questions, that the emotional 
 states produced by such examinatl<ms are such as to make set examinations 
 
 of doubtful -value in our educational system. It raises the question whether 
 such values as may attach to set examinations are not gained at too great 
 
 a sacrifice or cost to the physical and motional states of the examinees. 
 
46. 
 
 B, E^aluatlCTi of S^t Exaainatton** 
 
 The questions in this, the last groxip of Part I of the 
 
 questionnaire, were three, as follows: 
 
 9* What is the -value of suoh written tests, as you see it? 
 Qire reasons for your answer? 
 
 10. What, if anything, is wrong with suoh written tests? 
 
 11. Suggest ways and means of iaproring examinational methods. 
 
 The purpose here was again to learn what was in the students* 
 minds as to the matter of examinations. It was also thought that the 
 answers to the sereral questions would, in a measure at least, serre as 
 oheoks against each other. By "examinational methods'*, in question 
 eleTen, was meant the method of the set examination, and students were 
 so adTised. 
 
 In turning to the summary of question nine, we may say here that 
 the seoond part of the request, to gire reasons fer attaching certain, 
 values to the set examination, brought no results of any importance. 
 They each simply stated. the Talue they considered set examinations to 
 have, without giTing their reasons or authority. 
 
 The same difficulty in summarising the results was also encoxxntered 
 here that was met with in the preceding summaries; ris; the difficulty of 
 finding terms to coTer all the eases withoixt duplication. While the 
 terms chosen do not reach this ideal, yet they seem to lend themselTes 
 to the olassifioation with a minimum of such duplication, and will serve 
 our purpose in this parti cidar case. 
 
49. 
 
 Th« voaBnary follows. The value of the set examination is: 
 
 (1) As mind training and discipline for emotions: 
 
 (a) Self control and confidenoe ......... 5 
 
 b) Training in accurate Judgment, selecting 
 
 essentials, power of adjustment ..... 11 
 
 [e) Uemory training ....17 
 
 (2) aire knowledge and skill: 
 
 (a) Fvamish an apperoeptlTe mass. ........ 2 
 
 (b) Praotioe In written expression. ..••.••15 
 
 (c) Bird's-eye Tiew •••••••••15 
 
 (S) As IncentlTe to or Inculoator of habits of study: 
 
 (a) To keep up work, roTlew, study 52 
 
 b) To organi2e, coordinate, and correlate 
 material, to suonariee .....< 
 
 25 
 
 (4) As a measure: 
 
 a) Furnish Instructor a basis for grading 
 
 and check on student .......•••44 
 
 [b) Means of promotion. ............. 1 
 
 [c) <'iTes student measure of himself. ...... 11 
 
 [d) A goal or reward 2 
 
 (5) legatlTe value: 
 
 (a) Of no value, not necessary, or tnfair • • • • 29 
 
 . While perhaps nothing eonclusive may be drawn from the data 
 above, yet some things are of interest. That twenty-nine students » 
 nearly one-fourth of the whole, should turn aside and give negative 
 values, when the assumption would be. In view of question tan, that 
 
60. 
 
 only positiT* values wer« a ought « is not without its signlfioanoa. 
 Other items in the sumary hare their meaning chiefly in the light of 
 other data« and preTiously reviewed; e. g., the data in (S) ahoTe 
 clearly must be interpreted in connection with the data to questions 
 4, 6, and 6, Part I., the method of study in preparing for a set ex- 
 amination« the usxial method of study, and an evaluation of the two* 
 That the holding of set examinaticms should cause one to keep up his 
 work is, of course, the theory, and important if true; but the manner 
 in wfaioh such work is done and whether or not it is actually done are 
 also important, and may be the determining factors in the consideration 
 of values. So also as to the item of furnishing a basis for grading 
 or checking tip on the work of the students, while as saoh means it may 
 be valuable, yet one may well ask. Is it the best means for this purposet 
 This last question has not yet been answered. This point will be referred 
 to later in the discussion. 
 
 What has been said about terns under whioh to olassify the replies 
 to question 9, and others, applies also to qiiestions 10 and 11. Rather 
 loosely, the answers to question 10 fall under the following heads, with 
 the subdivisions and nuniber of replies indicated. The set examination 
 is wrong J 
 
 (1) In thought training: 
 
 (a) Discourages individual thinking. (Does not 
 
 give time or opportunity for) 17 
 
 (2) Vrong habits of study: 
 
 (a) Encourage cramming ............. 48 
 
 (b) Set up wrong aims - study to pass rather 
 than subject ..... .... 9 
 
51. 
 
 (e) Saeourage carelessness or slacking 
 
 in daily work ••• 5 
 
 (d) Cause waste of time because student does 
 
 not know what to study. •••••• 4 
 
 (e) Fail to interest student in subject • • 4 
 
 (f ) No penaanent results .••••••,• 8 
 
 (3) As measures: 
 
 (a) Method of sampling not true test. ... 28 
 
 (b) Catoh questions, unfair; too muoh 
 
 depends on examination •••••• 54 
 
 (o) System of grading uncertain « great 
 
 wariation in marking ••••.•• 7 
 
 (d) Questions often poorly framed . . • • • 12 
 
 (e) Test really only ability to pass 
 
 examination ...••••••••• 1 
 
 (f ) Used not to help student, but only 
 
 to evaluate him •••••••..• S 
 
 (4) Time element: 
 
 (a) Examinatiims too long for tine. • • • • 16 
 (b) Too many coae at onee. •••..... 2 
 
 (5) Physical and auotional elements: 
 
 (a) Cause physical and mttital discomfort. . 31 
 
 (6) General or indefinite: 
 
 (a) Are absurd 1 
 
 (b) Autocratic . •.•••••.••.•• 1 
 (o) Ho connection with life •...••.. 2 
 
 (d) Principle is wrong .••••• 
 
 (e) Encourage cheating or bluffing. . . • • S 
 
 (7) Mothing wr<Kig ~ only good 3 
 
62. 
 
 Tho findings h«r« agre« In the main idth th« findings In queatlons 
 4, 5« and 6* Mote the large number who object to the set examination and 
 the way it Is conduoted on the baais of the habit of oraaming inetiloated. 
 Sobs might be inclined to encourage oraaning* The students in the main 
 do not seem to think that it is a profitable practice* or at least of ^ 
 doubtful Talue in the process of education. They were not asked to ex« 
 press their opinions on the subject of cramming, and that makes It all 
 the more significant that so large a minority in each ease should mantioa 
 it again and again* That so many should question the method of sampling 
 used by the set examination* as not being a true measure of ability or 
 knowledge* or both* and that a much larger number* almost fifty per cent 
 of the whole* should object to it as being unfair* because of oatoh 
 questicsis* and beoause of so much value being attached to any one ex- 
 amination* has its lessons for us. Among other things that it may mean* 
 it certainly does mecoi that the set examination fails to oilist the 
 sympathy* cooperation* or the interest of many of the students* and jusl 
 to that degree fails in being true educational means. Also* in our 
 interpretation* the thirty-one who object to the set examination on the 
 basis of the physical and eaotlonal discomfort that it causes* mtist be 
 noted. 
 
 The fact that in an item asking only for defects or negatlTe values , 
 only three students among so many should rise to an unqxiallfled defense of 
 the set examination* whereas in a preTious item seeking <mly positlTe 
 values, twenty-nine students shoTild as unqualifiedly declare it of no 
 'valtie at all* is net without Its meaning* 
 
63. 
 
 The next item, qt»8tlon 11, asking for ways and means to iaprore 
 the set examination, -mis inserted as a check on the two preceding itens 
 in particular, and <m all of Part I, in general. To what extent this 
 has resulted, will be brought out in the tabulation of the reconmendationa 
 which are divided roughly into six olasses. 
 
 (l) Time or length, frequency, announcement: 
 
 (a) OiTe aiaple time for ••••• 8 
 
 (b) More frequent, shorter in tiJM, and of 
 
 consequent less indiTidual -value. .... 27 
 
 (c) Simply shorter as to number of questions « . 23 
 
 (d) Announcement 
 
 (1) Uhannotmoed .......••••••10 
 
 (2) Enounced longer tine ahead. • • • • • 2 
 
 (3) Give questions out in adimnoe .... 19 
 
 (e) Hold at regular interrala • 3 
 
 (f) Prerent so many coming on same day. • . . • • 2 
 
 (2) Type of examination should be: 
 
 (a) Oral or informal ........••.••• f 
 
 (b) Written S 
 
 (3) Mature or character of qucstiwis: 
 
 (a) Permit choice of questions, personal 
 
 judgment and reaction .••....•••89 
 
 (b) Of applied problem nature ^^31 
 
 (e) Broad and general in scope •••••••••15 
 
 (d) Should appeal only to memory • 6 
 
 (e) Ho catoh questions •••••••• 6 
 
54. 
 
 (f) U»9 oatoh questions only, 
 
 (1) When students are all good vith 
 
 ohances to ansirer good •••••• 1 
 
 (2) nhen they have grown lax •• 1 
 
 (g) Train uniyersity professors in art of 
 
 questioning ••....•.••••••• 1 
 
 (4) Harks and marking: 
 
 (a) Broaden basis of grading, oaking it 
 
 class work, papers, reports, mid- 
 terms, finals, etc. •.•••••••••24 
 
 (b) Excuse from examination those making 
 
 90 per cent or over ••••••••••• 1 
 
 (o) Professors should read papers •••••••• 1 
 
 (d) Return papers with ctaistructiTe criticisms. • 1 
 
 (e) Qrade papers on basis of number of questions 
 
 answered (in long examinations) • • • • • 1 
 
 (f) (^iye two-question tests, coxmting eaoh test 
 
 only 50 per cent. Take total marks of 
 
 two tests for one grade ...•..••• 1 
 
 (g) Eliminate marking system ..••..•••• 1 
 (6) Organization and Administration: 
 
 (a) Improve teaching by organizing courses on 
 
 seminar plan •••••• 9 
 
 (b) Do not use as a club, to scare students • • • 2 
 
 (c) Let instructor take right attitude and 
 
 introduce more honor^ •••••••••• 2 
 
 (6) Abolish or change radically: 
 
 (a) Abolish . 5 
 
 (b) Give self examinations. ••••••••..•SO 
 
55. 
 
 We muBt again Tse wimod against drawing any hasty conclusions 
 tram the data just presented. However, that such oomparatiTcly large 
 nunibers should nalce a plea for nore frequent, shorter examinations, with 
 less falue placed on each examination, for a wider range of choice of 
 questions, with the privilege of personal judgment and reaction, that 
 examinations should be more practical or of the applied prohlam nature, 
 and that the basis for grading or marking should be made broader, so as 
 to include class work, class reports, papers, aid-terms, finals, and so 
 on, bears its meaning with it. It means that in these respects, a large 
 grovq) of students have fotmd the set examination lacking; and they se«s» 
 to think that as examinations are now organised and conducted, students 
 are not given the opportunity to do full justice to theawelves. The 
 wide range of remedies proposed means that in a similarly wide range 
 have set examinations, to that desr«« »t least, proved weak or inadequate. 
 
 It was to be expected, of course, since all of the students 
 answering the questionnaire were familiar with the self examination, and 
 since its use seemed superficially at least, to be generally satisfactory, 
 that a number would mention the substitution of the method of the self 
 examination for the sot examination; but the actual mmber so mentioning 
 it was surprisingly large, in view of the fact that Part I in no instance 
 alluded to the self examination. It is also interesting to note in this 
 connection that so many as nineteen made the suggestion that the questions 
 be given out in advance of the actual examinatiwi. To adopt such a plan 
 
56. 
 
 vottld b« to approach tha method of the self examination, as would also, 
 in a aeasvra, the applied problems examination. 
 
 Enough has been shown in the data to indicate that the set 
 examination, so far as tiiis group of students at least is concerned, 
 has been weighed and found seriously laoking* 
 
 I. 
 
57. 
 
 mU. OR SELF EXiOnXATIOl AID ZBTERFBETATIOS. 
 
 A» QwMra.1 Stataaant . 
 
 For the meaning of the aelf axsoinatlon ve should perbaps refer 
 agpiia to the Btatenant of aeening and descrlpticm that vaa gSran ia 
 Chapter III of this study* 
 
 Fkrt II of the qaestioomire, '*Seeie Ftaases of the Self Examixm- 
 tion", divides into five groups instead of four, as did the one on the 
 set examination* 
 
 (1) The feelings at announeeassnt vith oause* 
 
 (2) The method of study followed to prepare, with an evaluation* 
 
 (S) The feelings at the time of taking* 
 
 (i) An evaluation of the self emmlnation and oomparison vith 
 the set examination* 
 
 (5) Probable effect on the study habits and potver of memory, if 
 the self eoBBmination should oorae into general use* 
 
 The plan of the svBonary and interpretation in the last chanter 
 will be followed in setting out the facts and moaning of the inquiry into 
 the self examination* In general, there were one hundred ten replies re- 
 ceived to this part of the questionnaire* 
 
 B* Feelings at Announo— nt and Causes * 
 
 The questions in the first division were two, as given belowi 
 
 1* Analyse or describe your feelings on hearing the announce- 
 ment that you will be expected to present a manuscript 
 prepared as a self exandnation, at a oertain time, 
 whether of resentment, fright, fear, pleasvire, .joy, in- 
 difference, etc* 
 
 2* Try to assign a oause for feeling as you did toward the matter* 
 (Hve the catise* 
 
68. 
 
 Th« terma used by the student* in describing their feelings 
 
 or attitudes, were again dirided into faTorable, unfaTorable, and 
 
 indefinite or neutral. The sereral descriptire terms under these 
 
 headings, together with the times of their ooourrence* were: 
 
 Pavorable 27 
 
 ThifaTorable ..•..•>• 8 
 Indefinite or neutral . . . 21 
 
 Total 66 
 
 PlTe of the twenty-seren farorable terms were used seren or 
 more times: 
 
 Pleasure, pleased 42 
 
 Relief, rellered 10 
 
 Interest, interested ... 9 
 Joy 7 
 
 Satisfaction, satisfied . . 7 
 
 The following fiTe appeared from two to four times: 
 
 Olad, gladness 4 
 
 Curiosity 2 
 
 Delight, delighted .... 2 
 
 Happy 2 
 
 Surprise 2 
 
 The remaining seTenteen ooourred but once eaoh. They were: 
 
 A chanoe to express myself Pleasant anticipation 
 
 All right Pleasant sort of humor 
 
 Calculation as to what I Pride 
 
 shall write and how I Problem to be done 
 
 shall treat it Ihoughtfulness 
 
 Coiaposure Thrill 
 
 Desire to assert myself Welcomed 
 
 Enthttfiastic What manner of aan is this 
 Exhilaration that no "exams" will 
 
 More satisfying decorate the board T 
 
 Hothing like my feelings 
 
 toward the set examination 
 
59. 
 
 Th« o«uB«s glTan for th» "pleasure" expressed at hearing the 
 aimoxsioement of a self examination with the ntoaber of times giren are 
 
 tabulated below: 
 
 Opportunity for self-direction and expression • • • 58 
 
 Time enoiigh allowed ..,...••15 
 
 No set examination to dread •• 6 
 
 No craoBlng .•...•... ...... 4 
 
 More benefit — better memory training 4 
 
 Because of noyelty. .••••••••.. 5 
 
 Opportunity to get general riew of subject. .... 2 
 
 Fair, ConduciTe to honor 2 
 
 ConstructlTe criticism received on this, and dis- 
 
 ooTcr my own weak points ............ 2 
 
 All of the specific reasons for this feeling of "pleasure" 
 would be too many to reproduce, but a few of them will be indicative 
 both of their tone and quality. 
 
 "It was something new, and gave me the feeling of a different 
 sort of responsibility thrown upon me." 
 
 m 
 
 n 
 
 It was xxp to me to make good and not to try to cram* 
 "since I can control the situation and do it when and where I 
 
 please." 
 
 n 
 
 It has resulted in my taking even greater Interest In the 
 
 subjects than I might otherwise haTe. 
 
 N 
 
 "Do not have to sit down in a close crowded room and write 
 for an hour without thinking." 
 
 "Knew that I would hare time and interest to make the manuscript 
 worth while." 
 
 "Conducl-ve to honor and really searching as to real good In 
 the course." 
 
 "I probably felt pleasure because it was not to be a written 
 (set) examination, and probably because my experience with the self 
 examination is so limited." 
 
 "It Is an attitude of fairness toward myself as a student, and 
 not an attempt to grade on a narrow range of questions as in a set 
 examination." 
 
Hianuff- 
 
60. 
 
 "That I aa to work out problems that haT« ooaa up in ay mind. 
 
 H 
 
 "An appreciation of tha worth of the self-exaainatiim, from the 
 standpoint of educational psychology." 
 
 "The paper giTes you more chance to think out actual experiences 
 and to apply things to your own case." 
 
 "Due to a desire to be able to master the given material and then 
 to express it in ay own words as it appears to me." 
 
 "I like the matter of self analysis in ord«r to find my weak 
 points — to arrange the points of a subject into the whole and under- 
 stand their relation to each other." 
 
 "I felt that I could discuss fully any topio and knew if I did 
 not exactly coincide in ay Tiew with that of the teacher, my riews 
 would be respected." 
 
 "Because of experience in both methods. In the case of the set 
 examination it is a continued period of fear and worry until after the 
 •xsmination is OTer; i. e.^wonder as to what the questions will be, or 
 if you are studying the correct things." 
 
 "I have time to go over my material, mark it out, plan it, bringing 
 in my own perscnal reacti<»is on the subject, and thus I take an interest, 
 which causes me to retain the knowledge I hare gained." 
 
 The reasons offered for the other fsTorable feelings classified 
 
 about as those stated in the case of "pleasure." 
 
 Of^ortxsiity for self expression and self direction • • 40 
 That it was not set examination •.....•.•.• 21 
 Because it was new ....... ....••••.• 6 
 
 Qawe plenty of tia« •••••• 6 
 
 Fair 5 
 
 More benefit 4 
 
 Ho cramming .... ••••..•••••••••.. 4 
 
 Chance for rewiew . ..•.•.•.••••••••• 1 
 
 Gcmbining the two tabulated lists, we hare as causes for the 
 faworable feelings toward the self examinatimi the following reasons. 
 
61. 
 
 with tha number of tiiMS each iras gi-ren: 
 
 OpporttDiity for self axpression .•••.. 78 
 That it vas not set examination •••••• 27 
 
 TioA anoogh allowed for •••■••••••19 
 
 Because it was new •••••••••••• 9 
 
 Ho craaning ...••••••••••••• 8 
 
 More benefit 8 
 
 Fair 7 
 
 Opportunity for review^ ••..•••••• 5 
 
 ConstructiTe criticism on my paper 2 
 
 Additional specific causes may have a further interest for ua, 
 
 "lot ao impersonal as a formal examination* rather a part of 
 yourself •" 
 
 "I waa to receive all the benefits of «m examination without 
 the dread and worry of one^ 
 
 N 
 
 "It was a new style to me^ My idea of going to school was 
 always connected with exams. I became interested in the *dry' subject 
 of pedagogy," 
 
 "Due to the fact that it iiasn't the old formal examination which 
 always struck terror to my soul. 
 
 tt 
 
 "l know that much depends upon my work and ability to understand 
 what I read, so I work happily, believing I sub really doing myself a 
 favor "by working." 
 
 "a relief from the old set examination. Offered an opportunity 
 for a nattiral expression of impressions - an outlet for the mental stimulus 
 generated by the course," 
 
 "There weren't inniaerable facts that oust be crammed into one's 
 head only to be forgotten," 
 
 "Oava me a feeling of having a chance to create something as 
 well as to get a grade." 
 
 "SeeaB to ae to be the fairest kind of an examination that I 
 have ever expci lenoed." 
 
 "a cause might be the big 'l* which causes us to wish for a 
 chance for self expression tsider conditions more favorable than those 
 allowed in a classroom and when reflection can be made." 
 
62. 
 
 "I hKv be«i brox^ixb to reallM that by this method I can gat 
 most out of a ooiirBe and •▼entually bo abla to paaa a little on to 
 aoo0 ocw alae by thinking problons through by deviating troa. a text 
 book or sooe one else's opinions." 
 
 "It stiiaulated oonfidenoe in n^reelf and gaTe rae courage to 
 proceed." 
 
 There were but eight xmfavorable terms made use of in describing 
 their feelings, only one of which, "reeentawit, resent it," eraployed 
 six tines, was used more than once. The other tttnas weret 
 
 Annoyed Weariness 
 
 F«ar VbeA is the use; 
 
 Frightened what good will that be? 
 
 Tied down Idrrisd 
 
 lbs grovBias for these attitudes or feelings were oalnly the 
 four, as tabulated belowt 
 
 Did not undenrstand what was wanted • • 6 
 
 Press of othor work ...6 
 
 LadE of interest 1 
 
 Thought unnecessary 1 
 
 The five stuoples of statcuents of ouuses quoted will stiffioe 
 
 to sliow the nature of sudi causes* 
 
 "Did not know jxist what was itoant*" 
 
 "It meant a little extra work if I intended to enjoy a 
 end entertaixnent away from home*" 
 
 "I thought it was asking too nuoh, beeaaee I did not kmnw the 
 sub,j eot thoroughly as a teacher is expected to do*" 
 
 "I hKrm derelopad a habit of liatcning to otbsr people thinking 
 things over, and keeping my ideas to myself* If I spilled ray ideas 
 right out the first ttaioB, I would have opposition* I suppose it is ny 
 habit. of reserve that nskw as take rather slowly to the self CDCsmination*" 
 
 "Tly first impression was that to rsrasmber all the important flaets 
 and write them down without the added suggestion of prepared questions 
 
 would be rather difficult*" 
 
63. 
 
 Of the indefinite or neutral feeling* there were twenty-one in 
 all. Of these twenty-one, but one appeared more than twice : - 
 IndifferMiee, indifferent •••••• 21 
 
 and but three others that appeared so often as twice each, as a matter 
 of course," "puxeled," and "surprise." The reoaining seTentewi wer» 
 giwen but anom eaoh. The list is: 
 
 A little queer CoBe-what-4ay attitude To determine juat 
 
 Anxiety Damfountbtent what time would 
 
 . As regular assignment. Get busy be most convenient 
 
 part of course, task. Lost to prepare. 
 
 Between indiffareno* and Of duty Trying to figure out 
 
 the willing phas« Perplexity what was meant 
 
 Bewildered Resignment ^tter astonishment 
 
 Shame Utterly at a loss 
 
 la accounting for these feelings, the students again offered, of 
 course, Tarious reasons. HoweTer, these reasons, after inspection, 
 somewhat readily reduce to four or fire main classes, with several scatter- 
 ing ones. In order of the times occurring, a tabulation shows the results 
 as follows: 
 
 To be expected '-- regular assignment ... 14 
 NoTelty of the method ••..•••••.12 
 
 Time enough granted ••••••••••• 7 
 
 Confidenoe in self ••••...•.••• 5 
 
 Hot interested ......•...•••• S 
 
 More careful study required^ ••••••• 2 
 
 Self expression. ••••••••••... 2 
 
 Anxious to accomplish task ••••....l 
 
 Not a gamble •.••••••••••••• 1 
 
 aiiame, if not been fair to teadtier • • • • 1 
 
 From the general statement of causes ^ isted above, me could 
 eonstruet iMiny of the individual reasons as set down. Soom of the 
 typical ones may not be without interest, however^ 
 
64. 
 
 "It was a new situation, and eonsequwitly I did not know how 
 to act." 
 
 "It 'MIS to be expected in a course of this sort." 
 
 "I don't mind the task of writing such a paper." 
 
 "Expect to be able to do the work bat aua not partlotilarly 
 interested in it." 
 
 "it aeeaed a matter in no wise out of the regular line of 
 asaigninent.'* 
 
 "Made a failure of the first one, and did not know how to nake 
 this one successful." 
 
 "Did not know whether It was to be a siaqile introspection relatiw* 
 to the subject aatter or a self adainistered old set exaodnation." 
 
 "a self examination means to me the writing down of the thoughts 
 that would come to ae in preparing for a set examination, and so it does 
 not bother me one way or the other." 
 
 "Hare more time to arrange my thoughts and really put down what 
 I feel as most important and what I am interested in." 
 
 An analysis of the svmmiaries of the data in questions 1 sund 2 
 shows first, that the twenty-scTen different favorable terns were used 
 altogether one hundred foiir times, or an average of nearly four and one- 
 fourth times per term; 8ec<md, that the eight unfavorable terms were used 
 Uiirtesn different times in all, or a little more than one and one-half 
 times per term on an average; and third, that the twenty-one indefinite 
 or nexxtral terms occurred forty-four different times, or Just a little 
 more than twice per term. If the unfavorable and indefinite or neutral 
 terms are combined, together wi-Ui the nimiber of times eaoh ooourred, the 
 twenty-nine terms appear fifty-seven times, or one less than twice per 
 term on the average. It would thus seoi that the favorable terms are 
 
65. 
 
 more than twle« aa popular aa the unfavorable and indefinite or neutral 
 
 «aBd>ined« 
 
 T!h» areragea given abora aaqr not mean a great deal; but that among 
 iba oatwes for the favorable feelings tonard the aelf examination, the op« 
 portunity for aelf-expreaaion, aelf-direotion^ poraonal reaction, individual 
 judgment, and the proriaion for the special interest of oe-dh individtial, 
 should ooour aeventy-eight times in a total of one hundred four cases, ia 
 of predominant signifioanoe* Also, the fact that tventy-seven students 
 of the one hundred nine should definitely give as a reason for their 
 favorable feelings that it aas not to be u set eaatri nation, ia not to be 
 overlcoked* Hovevery we nay not thereby conclude that in the estimation 
 ot theae the self examination was all right. It may have meant not that 
 they lonred the self exaioination mre, but that they at least loved the 
 set exBaination less* It is irortlqr to note, too^ that the time allowed 
 for the self eocamination was mentioned altogeUier nineteen times in the 
 ana faondred four oases* Other causes that deserve favorable mention 
 are, (1) beeause it was new; (2) beoaiise it required no oraaming; (3) 
 that it WAS fkir, and (4) the general statement that it was simply more 
 benefieial* 
 
 Of the eight unfavorable terns, occurring in all only thirtesn 
 times, only one, "reasntaent," was responsible for nearly one<>half of the 
 total* An analysis of the reasons presented as causes for these uai^cvorable 
 feelings shows that otzt of fourteen specific statements, seven of then 
 have little or no comeotion with the type of examination, but were due 
 to the time of the announcement or onnotnosments, or lack of interest in 
 the course* Six others are accoimted for because of the newness of the 
 
66. 
 
 ■llimtion as an examination, irhile the last or foiirteenth gave a* a 
 
 eause that he was already doing and had done irtiat the self exandnation 
 
 nas requiring of hiai, and he therefore thought it altogether unnecessary. 
 
 Of the ^orty-four occurrences, of indefinite or neutral terns 
 
 used, again a single term, "indifference, indifferent," im» responsible 
 
 for nearly o.ie half of the cases, ooourring twenty-one times. A 
 
 classification of the causes for this indifference shows the following 
 
 results : 
 
 Similar to regular assignment .... 9 
 
 Plenty of time .4 
 
 Self confidence ...........S 
 
 Hot interested ...........S 
 
 Must be done, ^hy worry?. ...••• 2 
 
 Am was stated in Chapter lY, in connection with this same phase 
 of indefinite or neutral terms, that such terms in reality may be coimted 
 as iinfavorable, for to the degree that a method fails to arouse interest, 
 support, cooperation or favorable reaction, to that degree it may be 
 regarded as failing. It may however be said that to accept a sitiation, 
 requirement, or assignment rather as a matter of course for the reason 
 that you feel that you have time enough to do it may not be altogether 
 a bad feature. A further investigation shows that the novelty of the 
 method was in part responsible for no fewer than twelve oases of the 
 unfavorable attitudes toward the self examination. It would seem fair 
 to say that a further acquaintance with the method would very probably 
 convert some of these unfavorable to favorable oases. It wottld also 
 appear that a ntmber of the students interpreted the question to ask for 
 
th«ir respeetiT* feelings and attitudes on hearing the annoimcement 
 for the first time. If that is true, it might also be fair to assume 
 that these ir«i-9 not their sereral feelings after they were once familiar 
 with what was wanted. 
 
 C. Habits of Study and Their Evaluation. 
 
 It would seem to be a truism that proper habits of study are 
 fundamental in the process of education. It is also just as evident 
 that little or no attention is being paid in our educational systea 
 to inculcating such proper habits of study. The emphasis is placed 
 on the learning of so muoh content or material, a^d the testing to 
 determine whether it has been learned* with practically no concern 
 on the part of many instructors beiug giwen to the way in which it is 
 learned. One of the prime purposes in education should be how to 
 locate ajid define, how to attack, and how to solve problems, and that 
 ■•ans, of course, how to study. Examinational methods should be 
 Judged in part by their effectiveness in encouraging and establishing 
 valuable and proper habits of study. To what extent the method of the 
 self examination does these things, as experienced and Judged by the 
 group of students whose replies are here considered, will appear in 
 the suianaries of the second group of questicms in the questionnaire. 
 This group is comprised as below: 
 
 S. Describe yorjr method of study in preparing a self examination 
 
 manuscript. 
 
 4. Does your method of study in preparing a self examinati<m 
 
 mantiscript differ from your usttal study method? ^f so, 
 describe the points of difference. 
 
 5. If your method of study in preparing a self examination 
 
 manuscript is different from your usual method, evaluate 
 your method in preparing the self examination manuscript 
 as compared with your usual method. 
 
6a. 
 
 In saking a sunoary of the procedure followed by the students 
 in preparing the self examination laanuscript* the descriptions or 
 analyses of tne several nethods, the restilts are as followe: 
 
 Select subject or phase to be treated • • • 16 
 
 Reriew, piok out soiin points, chief faotors, 
 principles, eto., ...74 
 
 Supplement by outside reading, discussions 
 
 with others, personal experiences, etc. 70 
 
 Outline, organize, write out, with inter> 
 
 pretations ...•.....•••••70 
 
 lot Toting 
 
 Quotations from several of the actual replies of the students 
 will serve to throw more light on this most interesting phase of the 
 problea. 
 
 ■ i 
 
 At first I go over the main points in the reading and notes 
 jotting down anything which catches ny attention as having possibilities. 
 Then I go over the list jotted down and try to formulate my ideas con- 
 jtired up by their presence. Next I ohoose the topic which seens most 
 far-reaching or interesting and work out a theme rotnnd it going to the 
 reading matter and notes to assist me in every way possible." 
 
 "l look at the titles of the chapter to see the general subjects 
 treated, then I look over the headings of the various topics treated 
 and over what I have noted, in my study, that appealed to me . . • 
 I then try to analyse in my mind what the fundamental thread is that 
 the author is developing, try to thin^ and determine what are the 
 Important facts in the problem and then, before commencing to develop 
 my paper, I try to state as cleerly as I can, in an introductory state- 
 ment the fundamental nature of the problem and what my aim will be. 
 I then proceed to develop my manuscript along that line as best I can." 
 
 "in preparing a self examination, I try to think over the subjects 
 and material covered during the period under consideration without 
 reference to my notes. I buttonhole some other member of the class and 
 discuss various points in the study, or get him in an argument over 
 certain issues. Then, with my notebook before me, I project my awn 
 opinions, theories, and conclusions throii^h the material eaqphaaixed by 
 
69. 
 
 the not«« which I ha^e taken. Some notes may be eojipletely dlBregarded 
 and others greatly expanded. 
 
 "(a) Mapped out work In my aind. 
 (b) Took notes upon subject. ^ 
 
 (e) Coopiled notes, organised and wrote paper from jay viewpoint. 
 
 "A search of inpresslons gleaned fron the course to find th» 
 points that stand out — a royage of discovery full of interest and 
 thrill. Then a review of the notes tak«i, and a further examination 
 of the text (and other books) to verify these impressions. Then a 
 digestiwi of the data and a formulation or organization of ideas. 
 
 "I try to determine that which is the most ijq>ortant element 
 (or elements) in the work and so on. It therefore beooMS a very 
 personal thing and caie becomes very interested in it, because it is 
 like solving a problem. This causes us often to study it Jftore carefully 
 and to a greater extent." 
 
 "in contrast to the old method, in preparing a self examination 
 ■anuecript I find that the subject n»tter has to be considered thought- 
 fully. This is not necessarily so in preparing for a set exaidjaatian. 
 It is possible to memorize enough of the subject matter to pass a set 
 exaadnation without even a glinaering of understanding of what you have 
 ■MU>rieed. This cannot be done in preparing a self examination, because 
 i^ ia necessary to think until you do understand clearly. And that is 
 my method of Btuc^y — first to be sure that I do understand the subject 
 matter, think it over from as many angles as suggest themselves, and 
 then to go ahead and write the paper. 
 
 "The method of study for the self examiivition caxmot be confined 
 to cramming. When I know that a self examination will be expected at 
 the end of the course or at certain intervals I am constantly aurare 
 that something more than mere facts will be necessary to write a satis- 
 factory paper. Every problem presented suggests some Interesting 
 aspect wh«i we allow our minds to play with it. The old set examination 
 prevented such reflection." 
 
 In question 4, the students were asked whether their method 
 
 of study in preparing a self examination differs from their usual study 
 
 method, and if so, to state the points of difference. The vote with 
 
 the points of difference is set out in the following tabulations. 
 
^ 
 
70. 
 
 (1) Tes, does differ 39 
 
 (a) Uore disorlainaling, thorough, or definite • • 30 
 
 (b) More time given. •..........•..• 4 
 
 (e) Tjo not cram. ..•.•..•..••••••* 8 
 
 (d) More interest and personal reaction. ..... 9 
 
 (2) Yes, (qualifledly-thought it shood not) 9 
 
 (a) Only more general* ...... 4 
 
 (b) Okily as to time 1 
 
 (o) As to interest and perscmal reaction ..... 6 
 
 (s) Ho, does not differ. ••.......•....•.15 
 
 (4) No (qualifiedly) 18 
 
 (a) Except 'wider in scope. ............IS 
 
 (b) Ho eramniing. ......a.......... 6 
 
 (e) More personal reaction ...........a 7 
 
 (d) Only as to -writing it out .......... 1 
 
 (5) Compared to study for set e^'mminaticm instead of to 
 
 usual method ....... ...........ES 
 
 (a) No oraaaing for self. .••.••......18 
 
 (b) More time to set. ......•••••••• 1 
 
 (o) More personal reaction to self. ...... .10 
 
 (d) More free and calm in self. ......... 2 
 
 (6) Not voting 8 
 
 Although the points of difference between the tvo methods of 
 sttidy set down by the student, or the explanations offered, seemed 
 to contradict the "yes" or "no", yet the vote was recorded on the 
 basis of such "yes" or "no" and not in accordance with the points of 
 difference or the explanations presented. 
 
 The vote also shows that the question was misinterpreted, aa 
 indicated by the relatively large ntimber wlio compared their study for 
 a self examination to that for a set examination. This misinterpretation 
 is further shown in the points of differences between the two methods. 
 
71. 
 
 in same of the other oases as set out above* Suoh points of differenoe 
 
 clearly show in some instances that the studwit mist have had in aind 
 
 the set ex«min«ilon irith whioh to easq>are his study for the self exaadna- 
 
 ticm. 
 
 The isetw nas perhaps not quite so auoh oonfused in question 
 
 number 5« in -which they were asked to evaliiate their study for a self 
 
 ejcamination and their usual study method, though there is also son* 
 
 •Tidenoe here that there -was aiainterpretation. The vote in question 
 
 5 stood: 
 
 Study for self examination more valuable • • • . • 72 
 Study for set examination more valuable • • • • • 1 
 Usual study more val\iable •••.•••••••• 1 
 
 Both methods of aqtial value* •.••••14 
 
 Indefinite 18 
 
 Hot voting • *••*•«•••*•••* 2 
 
 Total TS§ 
 
 Those irho decided that the study for a self examination was 
 
 the more valuable, based their deoisions on the following reasons: 
 
 Galls for better organization •••*. 36 
 
 Creates better mental attitude, personal reaction, 
 
 interest 25 
 
 Better memory training. .*..••*•*••••* 15 
 
 Allows more time. •*••............. S 
 
 Beoause writing it out. •••••••...•••• S 
 
 Everyday lessons should be studied this way . . • • 1 
 
 The oae voting in favor of study for the set examination as 
 the more valuable, gave as a reason that such study "trains cme to 
 remember," while the one declaring for the usxsal method of study 
 said, "l get knowledge by vy first impression." The fourteen students 
 irtio agreed that both methods were of eqtial value did so for the 
 reason that the one was but a continiiation of the other; i. ••, they 
 
T2. 
 
 ««r« one and the atmm aeUiod. In the oase of eightiMn students, tbm 
 replies vere indefinite or else did not pertain to the questicm* 
 
 Characteristic r«aarks or reasons for oonsiderinj^ their study 
 for self sxuiioation the more valuable are r«present«d by the quotatlose 
 to follow: 
 
 "The big things o<nioeming the mrk stand out." 
 
 "It gives ■• aa inspiration and inoentirs for more study <uad 
 researeh.** 
 
 "The ratio ot my us\ial study to ay study for a self examination 
 is as 1 : S." 
 
 "The things I get vUl stiok." 
 
 "It is the difference between thinking and boning*" 
 
 "It constitutes the expression of ay iapresslons*" 
 
 "It forces one to take aooount of stook«" 
 
 "There is more place for initiative." 
 
 "It tends to sake a student to think a thing through*" 
 
 "The knowledge is vnderstood and retained -- worth 100 per cent*" 
 
 "It proTokes initiative and creative thinking." 
 
 A rerriew of the sunnary of the nethods of study followsd in 
 
 preparing for a self examination shows that nearly sirty-eight per 
 
 cent of the students aim to pick ottt the main points* dhiet factors. 
 
 or important principles, and that more than sixty-four per cent sxqpple* 
 
 it the regular material of the course by outside reading, discussions 
 
 T.'hich 
 vith others, and personal experience, after^they outline, orgpuiize, and 
 
 write the manuscript, with such interpretations as they may have to give* 
 
75. 
 
 It will be readily obserred by those «ho are familiar with the 
 conditiona of reflective thinking how that study for the self exami- 
 nation approaches such ccmditions rather nearly. If it should be 
 pointed out that the reason for this near approach to the conditions 
 of true thinking arises out of the instructions or directions given to 
 students in announcing the self examination smd in explaining it, the 
 proper reply would be that that is exactly the pxirpose of the self 
 examination, to aid in and to cultivate proper habits of study, and 
 to conform to the principles of trtw thinking* It would ■•«M, therefore, 
 not to be overdrawing to conclude that the method of the self examination 
 is a very decided f&ctor in developing proper habits of study and in 
 bringing about reflective thinking* 
 
 When it comes to the matter of differences between their study 
 for the self examination -^nd their usual study, only about thirty- 
 six per cent voiced an unqualified difference, and forty-foxir per 
 cent., coxaiting both the qualified and unqtialified "yes* vote, specified 
 a difference between the two methods of study; whereas, over thirty 
 per cent, expressed no difference whatsoever between their usual study 
 and study for a self examination. If the twentyf ive who compared their 
 methods of study for the set and the self examination had made the com- 
 parisons asked for, the results above given would undoubtedly be changed 
 somewhat. The figures might also be different if the apparent misin- 
 terpretations on the part of those who voted "yes" or "no" on the issue, 
 were cleared up. 
 
T4. 
 
 In the light of the situation as pointed out aboTe, it is really 
 difficult to interpret the s«Tenty-two Totes oast in favor of study 
 for the self examination as the more valuable, as we do not know whether 
 ■any of then were ooapariag their study for a self examination with the 
 one or the other, - study for a set examination, or the usual method of 
 study. The reasons given for declaring in favor of preparation for a 
 self enuaination wotdd in a large measure indicate that here^ again the 
 students were caaf>ai*ing study for the self and set examinations; for, 
 with any other explanation, there would be no reason for the relatively 
 large number who voted for the self examination study on the basis that 
 it creates a better mental attitude, provides for personal reactions, 
 individual interests, and so on* It has not been their regular study 
 of which students have heretofore oosplained, but of their study for the 
 set examinations, and it would be rather mustial to have thea complain 
 of their regular study in their replies to question number 5* It is 
 more than likely, therefore, that they were here indirectly complaining 
 of their study for the set examination. The specific causes quoted 
 directly from the answers of the students, in several eases, and in 
 many instances of those not quoted, would lead us to believe that th« 
 students ^ad the set examination in mind when writing out these causes. 
 
 D. Feelings at Preparing Self Sxaminaticm . 
 
 The probloa indicated above is found in questions 6 and 7 of Part II 
 
 of the questionnaire. These questions are: 
 
 6. Describe your feelings at the time of preparing the self 
 examination mamusoript whether of resentment, fri^t, 
 fear, joy, pleasure, indifference, etc. 
 
75. 
 
 7. lere you nerroxis idum you prepared the self ezazaination 
 ■anuaorlpt? Why or why nott 
 
 In listing th« t«ra8 usod in reply to question six, m got 
 
 as a result: 
 
 FaTorable •••••••••••••••••8S 
 
 TkifaTorable ••••• ••••10 
 
 Indefinite or neutral ••••••••••• 8 
 
 Total 151 
 
 In the farorable olaen^ of the thirty-three terms used, 
 
 four of than appeared seven or nore tines. 
 
 Plnasure, pleased, pleasurable* .•».•• 42 
 Interest, interested, interesting • • • • • SO 
 in joy, enjoyable, enjoyed, enjoyauint* • • • 9 
 Satisfaction •••••.••••. 7 
 
 Five occurred tm> to three times eaoh' 
 
 At ease ••••••.•2 
 
 Calm ...3 
 
 Conf^d-'oe 5 
 
 Bagemess ••••.••2 
 ^by ...•••••.•2 
 
 And twenty-four vere giTsn but cmoe eaoh* The list was: 
 
 Absorbed Tcsire to express Uors time 
 
 A g reeable myself. liore pleasant 
 
 Alertness ^nthuslesm Vormal 
 
 Collected Gratitude Physical room 
 
 Coapletely absorbed Gro^ng and unwilling Pleasantly excited 
 
 Coaposed interest* Pleasantly interested 
 
 Curious BtB&or Hational 
 
 Desire to oontribute Independence of thought Relaxation 
 
 the material to the very Uf^rely a thinking Working interest. 
 
 best of w^ ability. prooese. 
 
 The thirty-three different terns classed as favorable appesired 
 in all one hundred twenty-four times, or on an average of more than 
 three and three-fourths times per term. Ttro terms, "pleasYtre" and 
 
76. 
 
 "interest," ware alone responsible for seventy-two oeotirrenoes, or 
 
 fifty-eight per eent of the eases, and the fovar terms used seven or 
 
 more times were responsible for nearly seventy-one per cent of the 
 
 total, leaving twenty-nine terms to account for the remaining twenty* 
 
 nine per cent of the oases. 
 
 While in question 6 of this group, the students were not asked 
 
 to state the cause or causes for their feelings, yet in nearly every 
 
 instance did they do so. in inspection of the several reasons shove 
 
 that they fall into the groups below, with the number of ooourrenoes 
 
 in each case as set opposite: 
 
 Due to opportunity for personal reaction, freed«B, etc., . . 50 
 
 Interest in subject or problem IS 
 
 Time sufficient •...••.••••••.•.••...• 8 
 
 Rot memory work .••••••••••••••••••••• 4 
 
 Confidence in my ability. ....•.••;••• 2 
 
 Fairness of examination .••.......•..•.•.• 2 
 
 Vot set examination •.....•.•.•••.•••••. 2 
 
 The specific statements of the students giving their several 
 
 reasons for their favorable feelings were most interesting, as ustail. 
 
 The following will show their nature and content: 
 
 "Anxious to do more research work." 
 
 "a new kind of pleasure ~ the enjoying of an examination." 
 
 "Discovered new threads in the course and their connections." 
 
 ?I know my work is mind work rather than memory." 
 
 "a very personal interest. We want it to show our best work." 
 
 "Brings course more into touch with my own experience." 
 
 "To get n^ reactions across clearly, not merely to answer' 
 correctly for a given mark." 
 
 "Like a sailor on tsiknown seas, or an inventor of a new idea." 
 
77, 
 
 "Curious » as a child oonstruoting a map. Wanted to »— 
 hov it would come oat« and how different points fitted in." 
 
 "It gires me a feeling of working for n^ own benefit, and 
 not the instructor's alone." 
 
 "In endeavoring to express nyself well, due probably to the 
 laok of restraint either as to time, subject naitter, or fear of 
 
 "Merely a thinking process Buoh as one meets all the tiaui in 
 
 failure. 
 
 life; 1. e., solving problssM as they appear in your own mind. 
 
 There were ten terms in the tmi^Torable class, only one of whioh, 
 
 "disgtist," appeared more than once, it being used but twice. The list 
 
 of the other nine is: 
 
 Don*t-«ant-to-do*it-ness Insecurity Eesentment 
 Dissatisfaction Pri^tened Useless waste of time 
 
 Driren Objection Worry 
 
 The ten terms thtis appeared eleven times, or an average of just 
 
 a little more than once per term* 
 
 The reasons for these unfavorable feelings were: 
 
 Hot under 8 tain ding method ..••.....•..4 
 
 Appreciation of lack of preparation ..... 2 
 
 Extra work entailed .............1 
 
 Against whole scheme .............1 
 
 Laok of interest 1 
 
 Soa* specific statements of ea\ises: 
 
 "I did not know how to go about it." 
 
 "Pelt that it was a very difficult task." 
 
 "Writing always provokes a feeling of disgust with my mode 
 of expression. 
 
 *lfy interest was not natural." 
 
78. 
 
 A najority of the objections offered were seen not to be due 
 to any inherent quality or fdotor of the self exaaination« and had 
 really no connection with it as suoh« but were due to factors entirely 
 external. Further acquaintance with the self exaalnation« it would 
 thus seoBf should rmoTe most of those objeotiona. 
 
 Indefinite or neutral tersa eaae in for a snaller share of the 
 
 total number than did the unfaTorable ones. Of the indefinite or 
 
 neutral feelings mentioiMd, there w«re only eight in all« with a 
 
 total appearance of fourteen tiaes. One of these* " indif f erenoC'- 
 
 indifferent," is to be credited with seyen of the total fourteen 
 
 occurrences, or exactly fifty per cent. The other seven, used but 
 
 once each, were: 
 
 Aa a SHitter of course Vo distinct emotion 
 
 Determination Resigination 
 
 I don't know where I*m going. Something to do 
 
 but I am on ny way. Duty 
 
 The indefinite or neutral terms, it will be seen, were 
 
 used on an average of not quite twice per term. Of the reasons 
 
 giwen to explain these feelings, it was found that they arranged 
 
 themselves under the following heads, the number of times such reason 
 
 wtLU offered appearing at the right. 
 
 As regular or assigned work •••••••• 6 
 
 Indefinite 4 
 
 The quotations given below will serve as saxq)les of causes: 
 
 "l have a paper to do and oust do it.** 
 
 "Taking it as a matter of cotarse, instead of the regtilar assign- 
 ment." 
 
79. 
 
 Turning to the 8«Tanth question, nhioh sought to learn whether 
 
 or not the students were nervous irhen they prepared their respective 
 
 self examination manuscripts, the inquiry showed: 
 
 ■o lOS 
 
 Tea.. 3 
 
 Worried •.•.••••...• 1 
 Hot voting .....•.••.. 2 
 
 The specific statements as to the reasons for the lack or 
 
 absenoe of nervousness varied, of coarse, as one would expeot that 
 
 they would; but the underlying oauses for such freedon from nervousness 
 
 were after all relatively few. A tabulated result shows the oauses 
 
 and tioMS given: 
 
 Plenty of time 52 
 
 Opportunity for self expressim ...... 48 
 
 No fear of failing 29 
 
 Knew trhat to do and how ..........19 
 
 No reason for nervousness •••......16 
 
 Uanner of taking, environment. ....... 7 
 
 Fairness ... ......... 5 
 
 Do not know ................ 2 
 
 We shall have space for only a few of the statonents by the 
 students as to why they were not nervous. Let it be said here that 
 in general the roaarks were of the same tenor as those quoted to 
 illustrate the answer to questions 2 and 6 of Part II of the question- 
 naire. 
 
 "One feels in writing a self examination that there is a 
 fighting chance of doing one's self Justice - time to think, to 
 stttdy and something definite in view on which to work." 
 
 "There was nothing to be afraid of. I was working out an 
 idea of my own in the best way that I could at the time and whether 
 the idea was worth anything or not really it was mine own and I was 
 ready to stand sp<msor for it." 
 
80. 
 
 "l realized that I had a splendid ohanoe to show just what 
 I had gotten otit of the work corered." 
 
 "I was not taking a chanoe or depending on ny guessing ability*" 
 
 "Because I waa not working from the outside in, but froa the 
 inside out. * 
 
 "Because I was interested I was more or less pleased - fear 
 and pleasure do not mix well.** 
 
 "I did not feel the intense strain of make or break on the 
 isaue. Besides I was writing briefly, and of the things A had 
 thought about from my own point of -riew. I did not seek to reconoile 
 it with the instructor's." 
 
 "Ho. It was more like a friendly chat." 
 
 "Ho, because interest and nei^ouaness are not correlated to me." 
 
 "l was not nerrous because I was doing a Tery natural process — 
 thinking, plus formulating my ideas." 
 
 "Because of a feeling that it was n^ paper and not the reader's 
 or professor's paper that I was writing." 
 
 "I am not e«ifined to fifty minutes in an OTercrowded olassrooa." 
 
 ''Possibly becatise I can go orer my work and improve, etc., while 
 in a set ejcamination, that which is down, remains, no time for going 
 over, etc." 
 
 Three people said definitely that they were nervous at the tims 
 
 of preparing the self examination manuscript, and «ie acknowledged to 
 
 being worried. Since the vote was small and the reasons for this 
 
 physical state or condition but few, we may here quote all such reasons: 
 
 "Did not know just how to prepare it and when I thought of th« 
 grade that might follow." 
 
 "Only irtien trying the first one." 
 
 "Bad never had such an examination before and wandered just 
 what was expected." 
 
81. 
 
 "That I mi^t not do as well as might be expected, as a 
 result of the opportunity for good original work," 
 
 "One has other work to do and worry Is about neglecting other 
 work. Also, abotzt completing the manuscript on tiae." 
 
 Sereral of the reasons above clearly show that such nenrousness 
 as there was, was due to the newness of the thing they were undertaking 
 and not because of the nature of the examination itself* 
 
 In reriewing the data of this division of the questionnair*, 
 sereral facts seem to stand out rather proiainently above others; 
 
 (1) That the self examination is cwiduoiTe to a proper enotiwial 
 
 attitude or conditi<»i on the part of Btudnnts. 
 
 (2) That it enlists to a very narked degree the sympathy, interests 
 
 and cooperation of the students. 
 
 (S) That these conditions are due to the freedom and opportunity for 
 
 personal reaction or self expression that the self examination 
 provides or permits. 
 
 However, all of these ooncluaione must be further considered, 
 
 in the light of the data yet to be presented, and then again in the 
 
 light of all the data taken together as a irtiole. 
 
 E. The Self Examination Evaltaated . 
 
 The questions of this division had for their purpose to secure 
 a direct estimate f roa the students thsaselves of the imlue of the self 
 examination by considering (l) both its strong and weak points; and (2) 
 by a direct ccnparison with the set examination. The specific questions 
 
 were: 
 
 8. What is the value of the self-examination method as ycu 
 see it? 01 ve both the strong and weak points of the 
 ■athod* 
 
82. 
 
 ■ 9. Coir^re the method of self examination vith the tuu&l aet 
 •xaaination* 
 
 By listing and tabulating the strong points of the self examination 
 
 as given in the replies to that part of question 8» ve find that they 
 
 groiqp themselTes under about fire olasses. These elassee or groups, 
 
 with the vote for eaoh are: 
 
 1* Provides for self expression, personal reaction, 
 
 initiative, originality, special interests, etc. . 81 
 
 Z* Inculcates proper study habits, eliminates 
 oranming, aids memory, requires organi- 
 zation and thinking of subject natter, to 
 sho|r relations, give subject unity, etc. . > . • 86 
 
 5. Produces proper or normal onotionaLL states ..... 48 
 4. It is fair, gives time enough, ete. •••.•••• 41 
 
 6. As a measure in general •••....••••..• 24 
 It will also be interesting to give the votes on some of the 
 
 speoifie items » 
 
 Eliminates improper emotional states .••...•.•• 55 
 Aids retention or memory .••.•..•....•.••26 
 
 Eliminates cranming ..••••..••.•••••••17 
 
 Gives time enough •••••••••••••......52 
 
 Provides for self expression ••.••.•••.•••.22 
 Allows individual judgment ••••••••••.••••56 
 
 Provides for special interests ••• ••14 
 
 Arouses interest ••••••••• •••••14 
 
 Creative work, research .•••••••••••. •••10 
 
 Requires initiative , 16 
 
 We may perhaps throw still fxirtlier li^t on this by nodcing a 
 
 few quotations in their entirety from some of the answers of th« 
 
 students themselves: 
 
 '*To ny mind the value of the self examinati<m is summed up 
 in this: it obviates much of the resentment and all of the nervousness 
 
■ 
 
 88. 
 
 ineident to e written (set) examination. It oauses one to read the 
 preaoribwl text aore thoroughly and willingly, and ainoe the reading 
 follom a derelopoMRtal wtx^ it ia aaaimilated in a rational Banner 
 whioh Btenda Bore ohanoe of being reMrt)ered after the oouree ie orer. 
 
 "It givea the atodent an opportunity to do aoae oreatif* work 
 and intereata him thereby making hia work In a way that will really 
 benefit him." 
 
 "The self examination giwea the atudent an opportunity to 
 derelop a aubject in whioh he ia eepeoially intereated. It givea 
 him the opportunity to ehow hia judpMut in determining important 
 pointa and dereloping them clearly and logically. It relieres him 
 •f a nerroua strain. It relieves him of the cramming required by a 
 fonwl teat and giToe him that time to apwnd in thoughtful preparaticm 
 of a definite piece of work. Ae amntioned above, he feela that the 
 instruetor's aim ie to help the student and not singly to determine the 
 amotnt of knowledge possessed." 
 
 "The value of the self examination method, froai my experiwaee, 
 is that it give* th* stadeBt an opportunity to show whether or not he 
 really has an tBdarataadiag of the subject by giving hia the entire 
 field to write from, and time to think, to analyze the subject and to 
 orgpmize his thoughts. It entirely elialaates the objeetion often 
 raised by studsnts, that the questions are not representative questi<ms 
 and that while one queetion may be asked whioh he cannot answer, while 
 he could answer several aore equally repressntative questions. It also 
 eliminates the fear of having but a short limited time in ^iioh to 
 answer so aajvy questions. Certainly a self examination manuscript 
 eliminates these objections and shows the student's power of interpre- 
 tation and whether or not he has the problem In mind. This also affords 
 the instructor a way to jud,:e of the student's ability to interpret the 
 facts and to find the eeaential issues." 
 
 "The value of the self examination may be said to be: 
 
 "1. The fact that it makes the student definitely express 
 his thoughts and allows of no doubtful expreesion. 
 
 "2. The fact that it gives to the facts and ideas their varying 
 degrees of importance and makea the student to see the 
 inter-relations of theae same facts. 
 
 "8. The fact that it causes information to be doubly sure by 
 having it taken in in two different ways by the sight: 
 first, by reading; second, by writing, and to see it on 
 a written page. So wa have two paths instead of one. 
 
B4. 
 
 *A» Th« fact that the instractor can be sure each 
 
 pupil Is doing th« aasignmisnt if written work 
 is deaumded* 
 
 "S. The fact that it eliminates all nervousness and thus 
 
 allows eaeh one the same opporttinity of making good. " 
 
 "Strong points: • 
 
 "l. Compels the student to think and organize the aaterial 
 in his experience. 
 
 "2« Galls for more study and exertion on the part of th« 
 student* 
 
 "3- GiTes the teacher an idea of irhere the interest of th« 
 stxident lies* 
 
 "4* Eliminates oraaming* and nervousness on the part of 
 the student at tiae of examination* 
 
 "5* Stimulates disoussion of subject matter outside of 
 
 olassroaa and exchange of ideas between students." 
 
 "The strong points of the self examinati<m are: It is training 
 in thinking along the lines of the fundamental principles instead of 
 trying to memorize faots. It is training in making other people's 
 ideas your own by rearranging them to fit your own experiences. It 
 enables the student to study along the lines where he is most interested, 
 and is therefore able to be more efficient. It. teaches the student to 
 have ideas of his own." 
 
 "strong points: 
 
 "l* More fair ~ slow pupils not pressed for time. 
 
 "2. Tends to derelop r earoh habit — search for truth 
 and not -vrhat pleases teacher* Henoe adapted to 
 older students. 
 
 "3. Helps the teacher to determine more correctly the 
 effect he is producing. 
 
 "4. Ho t«aq>tation to cheat* 
 
 "5. An outlet for stimulus. 
 
 "6* Helps pvpil to organise his thoughts as he goes along* 
 
 "7* Derelops indiTiduality* 
 
85. 
 
 "S. Conserves time ~ no time irasted on extraneous facts," 
 
 Aoeording to the replies of the students, the weak points and 
 
 the relative -weights of such possible weak points are: 
 
 1. Ifay result in bad study habits ••••• 67 
 
 2* May l^^d ^o tinfaimess, oheatlng, plaglarlm, 
 
 just to get by... •••••••••••••• 51 
 
 5, Tends to destroy basis for marking, difficult to 
 
 administer ..••••••••••••••••.21 
 
 4. Lacks tniverrtallty as incentive to study by Instilling 
 fear, etc. ••••••••••••••••••.10 
 
 6. Hlsoellaneous, student may not isiderstand. Indefinite* 
 
 does not fit into sohame ...••••••••• 6 
 
 8«M of the speolflo Items and their votes were: 
 
 May not require proper amount of review and grounding 
 
 in subject ••••••••••••••••••••81 
 
 May allow students to get by •••••••••••••14 
 
 Might lead to mere summarising^ ••••••••••••10 
 
 Vot a memory drill or contest •••••••••••••17 
 
 Hay lead to carelessness •••••••••••••••15 
 
 Students may rely too much on books ••••••••••11 
 
 It Is of slgnlfloanoe that twenty-three students voted no 
 
 weak points of the self examination. It Is also Interesting to not* 
 
 that the alleged weak points were stated mostly in the potential and 
 
 not In the indicative mood. A f«« direct quotations from the students* 
 
 replies will show this point clearly^ 
 
 "There seem to be very few weak points In this method; it might 
 be suggested that certain students might be inclined to regard this 
 systea as no examination at all but rather a *8nap. * SuoYi stud^its 
 would probably be in the large minority; and the chances are that by 
 the time the study was finished, or at least several like it, they 
 would ha/e changed their minds." 
 
 "It is liable to allow the student to take a certain view-point 
 froM which he looks at the whole subject matter of the course and this 
 view-point (his own) may not be a valuable one at all but may even be 
 harmftil to a correct and clear grasp of the coxirse." 
 
86. 
 
 "Ih© sttKlwit nay negleet th« ordinary work of the ocrarse If 
 he knonrs that he Is not to b« examined on it ••• Another objection 
 might be that the student will not get the proper review of the 
 prerious work of the course. A third might be that the method doea 
 not require sufficient exercise of the memory." 
 
 "If a student was so inclined he might get som one else to 
 
 prepare the paper for him or might re-rise some one elae's paper, or 
 copy a few facts from the book and present them." 
 
 "Perhaps one weak point is the fact that the students come to 
 rely too much upon the book and merely mechanically copy out any 
 ideaa vhioh strike their fancy without thinking of the relation of 
 these ideas to the whole and to the other ideas. Thus it may degen-> 
 erate into a ptrrely meohanioal prooese." 
 
 "Wemk points: 
 
 **!• Danger of the student eophasizing unimportant points 
 to the exolusion of the main issuo. 
 
 "2. Danger that the student may arrire at erroneotxs con- 
 olusions or unfomded and false theories. 
 
 "3. The student may merely transcribe his notes or take 
 extracts from the text, without thought and 
 wlthctit developing or relying on HMBory. 
 
 "4. There Is no certainty that the result is the pupil's 
 own work* 
 
 *6* Gives the student the impression of superiority and 
 individual egotism, and allows procrastination 
 in preparing work*** 
 
 "It is hard to know just what the reader considers the standard 
 of excellence. If a definite question is asked, one knows whether he 
 has answered it satisfactorily or not, but in a self examination it is 
 not easy to know just irhat kind of a paper is expected." 
 
 "And the one fault irtiich I felt it had has proven neglible, 
 that of relaxing of study and a tendency to oopy back the material. 
 Some way or other you just can not do this »- there is a personal 
 pride in the work that has no time to enter into the old set exami- 
 nation." 
 
87. 
 
 In the last qnestlon of this dlTlslon, a oomparison of the 
 
 method of the self examination -with the sot examination, ther« 
 
 appeared again the strong and neak points of each method, as set out 
 
 in questions 9 and 10 of Part I, and question 8 of Part II of thia 
 
 questionnaire, and it would be only to repeat to go into any detail 
 
 of such comparisons. This does not mean, however, that there were 
 
 no definite returns from the question, as it was more than a mere 
 
 re-hashing of what had previously been said, '[he results of the 
 
 comparison show a decisive vote In favor of the self-ey^ailnation. 
 
 The vote stood: 
 
 In favor .....SO 
 
 Against ••.••••..• 1 
 
 Vo conclusions ...... .20 
 
 Hot voting ......... 9 
 
 This is all the more significant since they were not asked 
 to go definitely on record either for or against either type of 
 •xamlnation. 
 
 A few general stateaente of Interpretation and conelusions to 
 be drawn from the data presented in the replies to questions 8 and 9« 
 that would seem to be justified, at least so far as this grovqp of 
 students are concerned, are: (l) that the method of the self examination 
 enlists their Interest and most hearty resp<mse; (2) that it does this 
 bocause they recognize In It an opportTinity for personal development, 
 for growth, originality, creative work, and Its fairness, to all; and 
 (3) thaL it '.4 not without Its faults. 
 
u. 
 
 Th« possible objections to the method, or wealme«B»», are not 
 to be oTerlooked. Attention has, however, already been called to 
 the fact that nearly all of such so-called weakneases -mre put in 
 the potential mood; i. e., they pointed out that under this, that, 
 or the other condition, such or suoh objeotionable result might b« 
 the outcome. It is, of course, most important to kncnr just irtiat 
 are the possibilities, either positive or negative, in any nethod. 
 
 P, Effect on Study Habits and Memory* 
 
 The specific questions of this divlsi<m of the questionnaire 
 are: 
 
 10. What would be the probable effect on your study habits 
 if the method of the self exanination should com 
 into general use? 
 
 11 • What would be the probable effect on your memory? 
 
 It was explained in Chapter II that these questions were added 
 to the original questionnaire after a few had already had opportxmity 
 to reply. We have in all ninety-three, and ninety replies, respectively, 
 from the students composing the original groups. In addition, we have 
 replies fraa a group of thirty-five in Education 121, Prinoiples ot 
 Secondary Education, semester, January to May, 1921, all of whoa ar« 
 familiar with the method of the self examination. As to their status 
 in the university, this groi^ was divided: juniors, 9; seniors, 19; 
 graduate students, 7; all women. Since the work of the seaester is 
 not ooopleted, their final marks have not yet been made up, but ia 
 general, the marks will be on an average about as they were in the 
 
89. 
 
 other groups. It might be Intez^sting to know that threo of the 
 groiip are Phi Beta Kappa scholars. 
 
 The vote on question 10 stood: 
 
 Effect 
 
 Original 
 group 
 
 Supplementary 
 Group 
 
 Improve study habits 
 Ho effect 
 Detrimental to 
 DidnH know 
 Hot voting 
 
 Total 
 
 85 
 6 
 
 1 
 1 
 
 
 95 
 
 SO 
 5 
 
 
 2 
 
 35 
 
 On question 11« the vote was: 
 
 Effect 
 
 
 Original 
 Group 
 
 Supplementary 
 Group 
 
 Improve memory 
 Ho effect 
 
 
 71 
 8 
 
 SO 
 2 
 
 Detrimental to 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 Didn't know 
 
 
 8 
 
 1 
 
 Hot voting 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 Total 
 
 90 
 
 85 
 
 Ho absolute conclusions may, of course, be drawn frean ■Uiese 
 votes. The most one can say is that in the opinion and experience of 
 the several students the advantages of the self eacamination far out- 
 vsl|^ the disadvantages; or that in their opinion amd experience, it 
 woiad he-** thA sf fects indicated by the vote. 
 
90. 
 
 Tested from this angle, and as shoim in the results in questions 
 10 and 11, the self examination receives a-ain the strong and all but 
 undivided favorable response of the students, and as shonn by pr&otieally 
 every division of Part II of the questionnaire. Such response and 
 oooperation has, of course, its meaning in education. 
 
 Chapters IT and V present the students* reactions to the set 
 and self examinations separately. The following diapter -will consider 
 the data of the two together, with such comparisons and c(»iolusiona 
 as Miy seen to be warranted* 
 
91 
 
 CBusm fx« 
 
 ijD nunoxoB cr tbi 0&3&. 
 
 Tlw flMts «B tfc« svli^ oaA Mil flBMMiimtiom as r«f«Rl«d bsr th* 
 qpi— tlnnnilrt^ and proMote in tlM tvo M»t prwn i KMiic ti»pt«r«* «l«h 
 brief i»i«rpf«iaUoQa in «B«h mm^ y«i stand alona In tbalr aenant* 
 atepUra* Ra ifaall te baiter ablo to aeo «faeir tall Maalag liy brlBe* 
 lx« ilia min Itoaa^ or avan aaaa af ^ba awa parUaalar ftMta to* 
 gather and «awainii« Umb la the IS^bt af «aah oihw* Ta do ifaia aiU 
 ba tlw porpoaa of tbia etepier* The qoeatioQa imd data wLU acaia ba 
 ^oi^ai aa la ttia aaparste etrnpiera. with the intarpratationa fblloviag 
 
 aadk grwip» 
 
 A» r—Hae/t Toward Two I^npaa of ft— tnationa . 
 
 It will bo raeallad that tha first granp af 
 ia^oiry into tte state of feeXSaga at tha tlno of tha 
 of tte I MtniHUs — ■IwU in, aith SMHaa Air each fasUagS* 
 Fello«Si« tha smb* «aassifleAtloB aad e^mapta^ sf 
 abia» vnftcvarabla, and indefinite or aaotcal^ the reanlta firas cpiea* 
 Hon !•« afaan broo^ lu^MIni arat 
 
 
 Olaaaea of Tamo 
 
 Self 
 
 r,et 
 
 
 lie* 
 
 Pmp Cent, 
 
 •lo. 
 
 ■'or Coiit, 
 
 
 ftavorabla 
 iMfbamahla 
 
 Indefinite or aiotral 
 
 TSlals 
 
 27 
 
 8 
 
 21 
 
 56 
 
 48 
 U 
 38 
 
 100 
 
 20 
 76 
 13 
 
 109 
 
 18 
 70 
 12 
 
 100 
 
92. 
 
 W* shall h&TO spaoe to set out only a tev of the speoif lo terms 
 tmder each of these elasses, with the nuosiber at times used. 
 
 
 Ho* Times 
 
 Bo. Tines 
 
 FKr<»rable TornM 
 
 Self 
 
 Set 
 
 Pleastire, pleased 
 
 42 
 
 10 
 
 Relief, relieved 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 Interest, interested 
 
 9 
 
 I 
 
 *V 
 
 7 
 
 2 
 
 tetisfaotion* satisfied 
 
 T 
 
 2 
 
 aiad, gladnoss 
 
 4 
 
 1 
 
 Curious, CRiriosity 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 Dsligfat, deli^tsd 
 
 t 
 
 
 
 Bippgr 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 Surprise 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 f^lSOBi 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Totals 87 20 
 
 Besides the speoifio terras listed, there nere seventesn addition- 
 al terns vssd onoe each in ftivor of the self eauoination, and thirtesn 
 terns so used fbr the set eoounination. These would then aatke the 
 respeotive totals of flarorable oases: 
 
 Self examinations .... 104 
 Set examinations .... 33 
 
 This data in a way oarries its oen interpretations with it. It 
 
 is not too muoh to say that the students eere at least mMh nere en- 
 
 tfansiastio in b^vlf of the self eaaminatiop than for the set examination* 
 
98. 
 
 Tbe raaocn or raasons for this flnthuslaak aay appear vhen we oonsider 
 tba sefveral oanses for these tuvarehle feelings. Hoirarer, aince thm 
 typea of eizBminiitionB are radically different, the oauaes for the 
 fknrorable feelings are not, in g«n«ral, the saxaa, and ao «• aay not 
 pat auoh oaiiaea in a oooibined table. The several oatises as ahcnm by 
 the msaber of tiasa each was given are: 
 t*) Self Examination ; 
 
 Opportunity for self expression . . • • 78 
 
 Not a set examination 27 
 
 Tine enough allowed •• alS 
 
 Beeaase it was new 9 
 
 So e< aiming ••••••••.<••• 8 
 
 Fair 7 
 
 OpporiTinity for review 5 
 
 Beoauae of oonstruotive aritioim on 
 nQT US*, and discovery of hqt om 
 
 weak points ...•• •• 2 
 
 Of aore benefit (in general) ..... 8 
 
 (b) Set SxamiTiation t 
 
 Intereat and pleaaxxre in subject ... 9 
 
 Oi^portunity to review 9 
 
 Corioaity and apeoulation 5 
 
 Joy of ooc^ietition 4 
 
 Oppoarttmity to learn oljiaa atanding . . 2 
 
 Opportunity for expreasion 2 
 
 Several of the cauaea alg^t seen to be nearly alike, auoh aat 
 
 Self Set 
 
 Opportunity for (self) expression 78 2 
 
 Curiosity and speculation, or 
 
 because it was new • 9 5 
 
 Opportunity for review ..... 3 9 
 
 Because of oonstruotive oritioiam, 
 or, opportunity to learn class 
 standing 2 2 
 
94. 
 
 The ren&lning eanses In the self — arfwticn list. 
 
 Not a set exmlimtion ....... 27 
 
 Time enougji allowed 19 
 
 No ornBdng 8 
 
 Psir 7 
 
 More b«nefit ..... 8 
 
 sre in thecaselves indireot criticiaas of the method of the set 
 
 tion as veil as at the aane time being also to that d^ree in favor of 
 
 the self eocaaination* 
 
 It is rather inter«rting to note also, with respect to the oauMS 
 
 given for the favorable feelings in behalf of the set easTai nation, that 
 
 in one of the principal oases, suoh cause ley entirely otibside of the 
 
 ■•ihod of somdnation^ and nas looated in the subjeot instead, .interest 
 
 A 
 
 and pleasure in the subject," vhich vas responsible for nine of the 
 thirty-one oases in all. It should also be pointed out that all the 
 indireot criticiBos of the set easunination contained in the oauses for 
 the ftxvorable attittides tovard the self eawml nation do not imply that 
 suoh alleged faults are neeessary oonoomitants of the set flOBBxdnation* 
 Take for instance the natter of tizoe alloved. There is no reason wfagr 
 the lade of time as found in the set WBHaination oculd not well be ob- 
 viated by either one of two ways, or by a oodtination of the two: (l) 
 aoftually to extend tloe time allowed to answer a given set of quest icms; 
 
 (2) reduoe the nrxaber of questions to be answered within the time; or 
 
 (3) both extend the time and roduce the nuober of questitms for the 
 eanoDination* To do this might even help to meet or to o^erocme sosm 
 of the other ob.jeotions, such as orasming, and tmfaimess, complained 
 of indirectly* 
 
95. 
 
 But, aren thoiigh it is granted that the set exttidimtlon smy be 
 iiaproved so as to (W WTOobw mam of these objeoticsis, tbe auM nay not 
 be said about that most fandanental objection, toplled again in the 
 fiBivorable attitiide torard the self eoeaiaination, beoatise of the oppor- 
 ttmity for self expression in sxich exaadnation. 
 
 1* do not propose hero to go into tho problem of what constittxtea 
 learning or vfaea or faov does one learn, and so on* We just vish to oall 
 attention to the fact that in the" ndnds of these students, as supported 
 fey their several experionoes, the oathod of tlie self examination ap- 
 pealed to thoBi nmoh more than did the set exsoination, for to tham it •e« 
 •d to satisfy a ftoduaental principle in learning, this very principle 
 of self expression* 
 
 It would be better, howwrer, to eamine sane more of the data be- 
 fore pushing these oonolusicns too ftir* The tmfaTorable tenns for both 
 types of «iatai2»tions tabulated after the same laajuier aret 
 
 Ho* Tines So* Times 
 TAfiftaiTorable Twms Self Set 
 
 Pear, fecurful 
 
 1 
 
 48 
 
 BaMotaent, resentful, etc* 
 
 6 
 
 84 
 
 Dread^ dreadful 
 
 
 
 IT 
 
 Frii^t, frightened 
 
 1 
 
 16 
 
 Worry, worried 
 
 1 
 
 IS 
 
 ferrous, nenroiisnsss 
 
 
 
 11 
 
 Anxiety, anxious 
 
 
 
 10 
 
96. 
 
 In addition to these^ th«r« vere ten. unffenrorable tema iis«d 
 fram tvo to five tiaM against the set eaadamiion, and fifty*nine stioh 
 t«nw used hvA onoe eaoii. There were four additional terns used <sioe 
 aaoh and unftororable to the self eaatmination* The eight unAtrorabls 
 tW'iM in the ««• of the self eanuiination ware tised altogsUMr but 
 thirteen times^ irtMreaa the Mrenty-six suoh tweam ware used two hundred 
 thirty-four times in the case of the set •a»aination« or in a ratio of 
 Marly 1 : SO. 
 
 It is signifionnt that andi t&rmm as ftar, 4read, Aright, aflraid, 
 worry, nerrousness, despair, and terror, eighb tenns in all, are alons 
 responsible for ono hundred nineteen of the unfavorable oases, or nearly 
 fifty-one per cent, of the total. It is also worthy of note tl»t the 
 foregoing eight tenos are all but absent firon the unfavorable list of 
 the self eaDBnination, three of them, fear, fright, and w<M>ried, appearing 
 but onoe eaeh, being chargeable thits vith about twenty-three per c«xt* 
 of tte total thirteen oases. 
 
 And as to the interpretation of those unfavorable -Wrnis, it might 
 be asked, "What means this veritable broadside of seventy-six tBifbvorable 
 terms, fired in all two hundred thirty-four differwit times against the 
 set examination, as ooopared with the volley of eight terns and bat 
 thirteen individual or separate diets against the self eaEanination?" 
 It would seem difficult to misinterpret such an eaqression. Is may at 
 least say again that so ftir as the experiences of the students answering 
 th« i pwii i iimiiie s eoctond, the set esauBiBation is thrown into a most 
 unfavorable light as oentrasted with the self eaeBmination. This conclusion 
 
::>(•■ 
 
87. 
 
 is further borne ont hy the — ra w il oatwes fbr these respeotive tm- 
 
 flKTorable feelings^ vhich were: 
 
 Io« Times Bo* TioMi 
 Cause Set Self 
 
 (1) Fear of failing 70 
 
 (2) lork or character of study required 40 ... 6 
 (S) Okoertainty: 
 
 (a) Am 
 
 (b) As 
 
 to questions •••.•• 38 
 
 to imrks 19 
 
 (o) aeneral 10 
 
 (d) Form required 1 ... 6 
 
 (4) Lack of time 16 
 
 (6) Unfairness of the •aaudnation • • 14 
 
 (6) fixaniiiatian, instrument of tortvure 6 
 
 (7) Poor quality of tea<diing 5 
 
 (8) lenrousness • 9 
 
 (9) General attitude of students and 
 
 %imub0ru tofsard ssaniaations as 
 s « s s th lng to be fearsd • • • • • 4 
 
 (10) Dislike or disapproval of eoaainaticns 4 
 
 (11) Snminaticns inevitable • • • . • 5 
 
 (12) No interest In course ••••••• 2 ••• 1 
 
 (13) State of health 2 
 
 (14) msoellaneous list 4 ... 1 
 
 Totals 243 14 
 
 There is hers again the same piling up of oaiwes adrerse to the 
 •st SMsminatioti, whidi« if not due to the inherent nature of suoh ex- 
 ■Mliiiit 1 II, are at least due to the sAthod of its adriinistration. It is 
 

«rO« 
 
 Bo. TisM 
 
 Bo« TinM 
 
 Self 
 
 Set 
 
 21 
 
 41 
 
 a 
 
 S 
 
 2 
 
 t 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 IT 
 
 9 
 
 likOTds* wrldant that suoh imfbTomble attitude as there vae ag^inet 
 the mlf esBUainatlon Is practically negligible* 
 
 In oamparing the Indefiziite or neutral terns xised in the teo 
 descriptions, we have: 
 
 Indefinite or Heutral Terns 
 
 Indifference, indifferent 
 
 SijrprisG, surprised 
 
 Ae a aattsr of coarse 
 
 Rtssled 
 
 Reliered 
 
 Miscellaneous, once ea^ 
 
 Totals 44 57 
 
 The cansee for these indefinite or neutral feelings will throw 
 
 light on the figures above* Bringing like oaus^ together the results 
 
 would be as follows: 
 
 Causes 
 
 To be expscted, used to 
 
 Tine allowed 
 
 Hsthod of preparation for 
 
 lot interested, indifforenoe to 
 
 snides 
 Msthed of presentation - eaqpireasion 
 Norelty of method 
 Confidenee in self 
 Anxious to aooociplish task 
 Not a ganble 
 
 Blani, if not fair to teacher 
 ftBori^sed at word eaaaninatio n 
 
 On the whole, the fbregoing data would indicate that there is 
 less of an indefinite attitude on the part of students toward the self 
 than toward the set soBsmination. The indifference confessed was 21 : 41 
 
 rly 1 : 2, in fairor of the self sasnination* In the totals, the 
 
 Ho* Tines 
 
 No* Timos 
 
 Self 
 
 Set 
 
 U 
 
 24 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 2 
 
 4 
 
 S 
 
 5 
 
 3n 2 
 
 6 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
99. 
 
 testimony la still for the self saceuaination, although not so muoh 8o# 
 V»n the ratio Is about 1 : l.S on the sids of the self •nmination. 
 There is a reason for this decreased ratio vhich appears in the twslT* 
 aaseSf tmder oauaes, «ho gave the BsmMas of the method as the reason 
 for their indefinite attitude. "Pnssled,** in the list of specific 
 tenui, for which feeling there mm given as a reason, "I didnH see 
 har any on* eoiild examine himself," is a type of term put down as in- 
 definite or netttral, and which, if elJainBisd Uttm this group, would 
 very nearly result in the fbnaer ratio of 1 : 2 on the side of the self 
 ■iMiiiihiiitliin being maintained* 
 
 There is also sirldsiioo smoig this group of terms and the causes 
 given, that the question ims interpreted to apply only to the very 
 first annotnooDMnt of a self sssaJ nation, up to which time they knew 
 nothing of the method nor how to go aboxxt to aoeomplish it* ^his is 
 clearly shown in the «aui^es, (1) "Lost — at first j" (2) "A Uttls 
 queer — it was a new situation, and cansequcntly I did not know how 
 to act;" and (S) "Surprise, due to the novelty of the thing*" That 
 this ]ni<sinterpretation of the questicn is responsible for some of the 
 indifferenos is elearly sxprossed* Further, thers is some svidenee that 
 the sort of fatalistic attitude taken toKird the set eoouaination frcan. 
 habit, WIS not without influence in the matter of the feelings on oc- 
 oasicn of the self eocamiiKiticn • It wis the fact that it was an "examina> 
 tion" that caused these feelings or lack of feeling* The idea of it 
 being a "solf" saBMBLaation and its meaning had not yet attracted their 
 attention* If the question Imd been Interpreted by all as applying to 
 
100. 
 
 th« aimouneemmit of a self •xaminatlon after they were fully aequainted 
 vith the method and vfaat was iranted, and not to the oooaeion of the 
 ▼ery first announoeasnt, the expression of feelings would undoubtedly 
 hare hean quite different. It does not f ollow» howeTer« that the change 
 would ha-re resulted only in gain for the faTorable es^ressions. The 
 law of probability would argue that the unfarorable list would haTO had 
 its share of aooessions from this change of feelings resulting frosi a 
 correct interpretation of the question. The chief net results froa 
 such proper interpretation, it would seen* would most likely haTe been 
 to reduce the list of indefinite or neutral feelings toward the self 
 escamixMition, -shioh of itself would be a Tory positiTC thing and really 
 in fa-ror of such self ezaaination. 
 
 The classes of terns, ntnber of tiaes used, and the per cent, 
 each is of the total for the two types of exaai nations appears in the 
 table below: 
 
 Classes of Terms 
 
 Favorable 
 Uhfarorable 
 Indefinite or neutral 
 
 Totals 
 
 Self 
 
 Times 
 Used 
 
 104 
 IS 
 44 
 
 161 
 
 Per 
 Cent. 
 
 64.6 
 
 8.1 
 
 27. S 
 
 100.0 
 
 Set 
 
 Times 
 Used 
 
 SS 
 2S4 
 
 67 
 
 S24 
 
 Per 
 Cent. 
 
 10.2 
 72.2 
 17.6 
 
 100.0 
 
 The table is read, farorable terms appeared one hundred four 
 iim«s, or sixty-four and six-tenths per cent of the total times all 
 iMrmm were used in describing their feelings toward the self examina* 
 tion; or, the unfa-rorable terms were used two hundred thirty-four times 
 •r im serenty-two and two-tenths of the total nuaber of cases. 
 
H'^tr^ - '.f '. Tif.i'^ 
 
 ':fiiii,iiCO 
 
101. 
 The feelings et the time of taking the examinations nay well be 
 oonsidered alongside the feelings expressed on hearing the azmounoement 
 of suoh examinations. The several classes of terms and number and per 
 cent, of each were: 
 
 
 
 Classes of Terms 
 
 Self 
 
 11. 
 
 Set 
 
 Times 
 
 Per 
 
 Times 
 
 Per 
 
 
 Used 
 
 Cent. 
 
 Used 
 
 Cent. 
 
 FaTorable 
 
 33 
 
 64.70 
 
 20 
 
 29.00 
 
 Unfavorable 
 
 9 
 
 17.65 
 
 38 
 
 55.00 
 
 Indefinite or neutral 
 
 9 
 
 17.65 
 
 11 
 
 16.00 
 
 Totals 
 
 51 
 
 100.00 
 
 69 
 
 100.00 
 
 The attitude of the students toward the two types of examinations 
 is« however, more dearly brought out in a tabulation of the number of 
 tiaes these different olasses of terms were used and the per cent, each 
 was of the total. 
 
 — . 
 
 Classes of Terms 
 
 Seli 
 
 % 
 
 Set 
 
 Times 
 Used 
 
 Per 
 Cent. 
 
 Times 
 Used 
 
 Per 
 Cent. 
 
 Favorable 
 Unfavorable 
 Indefinite or neutral 
 
 Total* 
 
 124 
 9 
 
 16 
 
 149 
 
 83 
 
 6 
 
 11 
 
 100 
 
 48 
 151 
 
 55 
 
 229 
 
 19 
 66 
 15 
 
 100 
 
 The dominant causes for this very favorable attitude toward the self 
 examination, a reference to the tabulated causes in Chapter V will show, 
 were freedom. Interest, opportunity for self e:q[>ressloii, and sufficient 
 time being allowed, which were cited in all seventy-one times out of a 
 total of eighty-one, or nearly eighty-eight per cent, of all the caiises 
 given. 
 
 In contrast to this, the d<»alnant cause for the unfavorable feelings 
 toward the set examination was fear of failing, which alone was responsible 
 for sixty-five of the seventy-one causes given, or nearly ninety-two per 
 cent, of the eases. 
 
 The meaning of suoh evidence as this is clear and unmistakable. The 
 
 set examination tends to produce, as one student put it, "a situation that 
 
 is unhealthy soholastlcally," and the self examination tmids just as surely 
 to relieve* suoh situation. 
 
102. 
 Of the causes for the farorable feelings toward the set examina- 
 tion, slzty-elght per oent. vere qualified and irere of the nattire: "if I 
 
 knew the anmrer8«' "if I mts well prepared," or, "if the examination 
 iN|8 fair." These eaxises for favorable attitxides thus indirectly or 
 impliedly are criticisms of sueh set examination. 
 
 Again, of the causes for the unfaTorable feelings toward the self 
 •zamination, out of a total of nine causes given, four of them or over 
 forty-four per cent., were due to not understanding what was wanted. 
 This fact would again tend to reduce the nine \mfaTorable terms and 
 iMJce the contrast in faror of the self examination eren greater. There 
 is also reason to beliere that, as in th« case of the feelings at aunounoe* 
 mant, a misinterpretation of the question, or the habit of reaction toward 
 anything partaking of the nature of an examination, was responsible for 
 •<Me of the indifference toward the self examination, and not the nature 
 of the self examination itself. To irimt extent, a general use of the 
 method of the self examination would produce similar attitudes of in- 
 difference, of course does not appear. This would suggest a field of 
 inTestigation, should the self examination erer be used at all extensiTe- 
 
 In contrasting the two methods of examination in the matter of 
 producing a state of nerrousness in the students, the eridence shows: 
 
 SslUT Set 
 
 Tes 
 
 4 
 
 75 
 
 Ho 
 
 . 105 
 
 37 
 
 Both "yes" 
 
 
 
 and "no" . 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 Not voting . 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 Totals . . 109 116 
 
105. 
 
 It Has learned in Chapter 17, "The Set Examination," that fear 
 of failing 'Res responsible for sixty-five oauses of nerrousness out of 
 •ighty-flve eatises giren, or nearly seyenty-seven per cent of the 
 total causes. In other words, Just about one-half of the total one 
 hundred sixteen students nvre aade nerTous because of -Uie presence in 
 on* form or another or degree, of the fear of failing* learly fifty 
 per cent, of the oauses given for the lack of nervousness were really 
 only stat«wnts of oonditions under which there is no nervousness, it 
 being thus indirectly asserted that under other conditions than those 
 asntioned, nervousness is actually present. 
 
 In strong contrast to this situation above are the one hundred 
 three eases of no nervousness at the tine of preparing the self ex- 
 amination manuscript, and the reasoos offered for the absence of all 
 nervousness. Opportxxnity for self expression, relative certainty of 
 the situation,, (in the sense of the chance or gambling elenwnt being 
 removed; i.e., no "oatoh" questions or unusually hard or unrepresenta- 
 tive list of questions to face; but of course always the relative un- 
 certainty as to whether or not the product offered as a result of the 
 self examination nould be either acoeptable or accepted by the one in 
 charge of the course); no fear of failing, fairness of the examination, 
 and knowing Just irtiat was expected and how to do it, were among the 
 reasons presented. These represent one hundred one of the total one 
 hundred twenty-six specific statements of cause, or eighty per cent, of 
 the cases. The other twenty per cent, of specific reasons for non- 
 nervousness are found under such heads as, "no reasons for nervousness"; 
 
104. 
 
 "•mriroHBent and physical ooofort in being alone or in a quiet plaee 
 idiere work'oould be done satisfaotorily" , and "don*! know." 
 
 Proa this latter data, the set examination again oon^res un- 
 faTorably with the self examination* It is reaarkable hov that the 
 pereentage against the foraer is nearly always equalled or exceeded 
 by the pereentage in faror of the latter* Regarded thus as negati-re 
 and positire quantities, respeotiyely, the difference between the two 
 is almost or quite doubled. 
 
 la this matter of feelings toward the self and set examinatiou, 
 the data as a whole leads irresistibly to a oonolusion in faTor of the 
 self examination as edueational means, as against the set examination. 
 The next phase of this problem is how the two methods of exam! nations 
 •eapare in fixing or in requiring to be built up -niluable and effioient 
 habits of study* 
 
 B* Study Habits of Two Methods Compared * 
 
 It was seen that "cramming* is the method of study in a large 
 majority of oases, in preparation for the set examination* This is the 
 method in a little orer serenty-nine per cent, of the oases. Or, to put 
 it the other way, fewer than twenty-one per cent, of the oases do irbaA 
 might be oalled real study. In direct contrast to this is the testi- 
 mony of the students in regard to their study for the self examination. 
 There is practically no cramming and not fewer than sixty-four per cent, 
 follow the method of selecting the main points, factors, elements, or 
 principles, supplwnenting this material or principles by additional 
 reading, from discussion, personal e3q>erienoes, and so on, and then 
 
'f--n^' 
 
105. 
 
 organizing and dereloping It Into a fitting manuscript. It noed 
 
 acarooly bo pointod out that this lattor aethod follows rather olosely 
 
 the lines of refleotiro thinking, vhilo the former really Tiolates the 
 
 principles of such thinking. In this respect, then, of encouraging 
 
 proper hahits of study, the self exaaination excels the set exaaination 
 
 by the usual margin or difference. 
 
 There are sereral checks on the data abore relatiTe to their 
 
 habits of study. The students imr9 asked directly whether their aethod 
 
 of study in preparing for an examination, either a set or a self exaaina* 
 
 ti<m, differed froa their usual aethod of study. Setting the results out 
 
 in a single table they are: 
 
 Does preparing for self or set exaainatitm differ froa your 
 usual aethod of study? 
 
 Self Set 
 
 Tea 48 92 
 
 Mo 5S 25 
 
 Hot voting ......... 3 1 
 
 Conpared to Set Exam Study .25 
 
 Totals .... 109 116 
 In giTing the points of diff erenoe between preparing for an 
 exaaination and their usual aethod of study, fortyfi-w said they 
 •rMBMd in preparing for a set exaaination, while thirty-two stated 
 that they did not oraa in studying for a self eaaai nation. 
 
 The fact, as was pointed out in Chapter T, that question 4 in 
 Part II of the questionnaire was largely aisinterpreted, the students 
 in twenty«fiTe oases making the eonparison between the methods of study 
 for the self and set exswi nations, instead of between the self exaaination 
 
106. 
 
 study and the usi»l study Bsthod« prersnts us froa drawing any general 
 oonoluslons from the data olted* except the amtter of ealllng attention 
 to the mvUiod of "craauaing" or not eraaming« as we hare already done* 
 In general, it would seem to be true that that method of eonduotin^ 
 •aaminations which would oause the least difference between the usual 
 ■ethod of study and study for «xaaination( would be the best examinational 
 method or educational means, considered from the standpoint of habit 
 biiilding. We hare already had occasion to call attention to the fact 
 that if the examinational method encourages a habit of study radically 
 different from the usual method of st\idy, that to build up any reedly 
 true habit of study will be all but impossible. To put the proposition 
 the other way, that examinational method would se«B to be the best iriiich 
 requires study in preparation for it to follow the principles of re- 
 flect ive thinking most closely, and that method of examination would 
 seem to be the poorest that encourages study in preparation for it to 
 Tiolate such principles of refleotiTc thinking. Viewed from this 
 standpoint, the method of the self examination would sesa to be far 
 superior to the set examination, as educational means. 
 
 Due also to the efldent misinterpretation of question 5, Part II, 
 the caaq>arison between their study for examination, either a self or set 
 •xaminatitm, is likewise affected by this same misinterpretation. How- 
 erer, with this explanatim, the following tabulation may not be aholly 
 without 'value. 
 
107. 
 
 S»lf TJmml Set Uatial 
 
 More valuable 72 1 24 56 
 
 Equal Talue 14 17 
 
 Indefinite or Misoellaneoua ... 19 18 
 
 lot Toting S 1 
 
 Total 94 15 48 75* 
 
 In oomparing the self examination study idth the uaual etudy, 
 ■eTonty-two said that study for self ezanination was the more valuelble, 
 and one that the usual method of study ims the more valuable . In the 
 oase of study for the set examination and the uswl study, tventy-four 
 agreed that study for the set examination was the more Taltmble« while 
 fifty-six disagreed as heartily with that proposition, but were in ac- 
 cord with the proposition that the usual study is the more Taluable. 
 The preponderance of CTidenoe is thus once more against the set examina- 
 tion, and in faTor of either the usual study method or study for the self 
 examination. This testimony in faTor of the self examination is further 
 substantiated by the testimony fron questions 10 and 11 of Part II of 
 the questionnaire. These questions were to the effect, what would be 
 the probable effect on your study habits and memory if the method of 
 the self examination should come into genei^l use? 
 
 Effect on Effect on 
 Study Habits llemory 
 
 Improre 116 101 
 
 Ifo effect 9 lo 
 
 Detrimental to • 1 g 
 
 Didn't know 1 4 
 
 Totals 126 128 
 
J^c 
 
loa. 
 
 Tbeae faots again carry their own interpretation with thMU 
 Juat lAiat would have been the resxQ.te if the direct queation on the 
 effects of the set e stamina ti en on their study habits and memory had 
 been asked, does not, of course, appear. Hoivever, froa tbe OTidenoe 
 above, it is oren^ieloingly the judgpMat of the students that the 
 effect of the self examination in these respects is good. 
 
 C* Direct Etmluation of the Tiro Methods. 
 
 It will be noted that queetions 9, 10, and 11 of Bart I constitute, 
 to a degree, a check on eaoh other, as do also questions 6 and 9 of 
 Part II. The two sets of questioaa in the respectiTe parts of the quea- 
 tionnaire again constitute a oheck on each other. The group of questions 
 on the study habits, in a measure, serre as a further cheok on some of 
 these same problems. 
 
 We saw that fifty-two students agreed that the set examination 
 was -valuable because it served as a spur or incentive to keep up their 
 daily wor^. This would be an is^wrtcmt item in the evaluation of the 
 set examination, if true. But, a rather wide acquaintance with the stxidy 
 habits of students causes one to hesitate to aooept such a relatively 
 large vote as a true reflection of the real situation. Happily, however, 
 we have more substantial data on this point than mere empirical evidence. 
 la anawer to question 10, forty-eight students stated that the method of 
 the set examination was bad because it encouraged "oranming*" Ve also 
 saw in the a^a■Bary of the results to question 4, Part I, that about 
 aeventy-niaa per cent, of the stxidents stated either directly or in- 
 directly that "oraaaing" was their method of study in preparation for a 
 
109. 
 
 set aaoaaination. Hour, '*oraionin|^ Is not the method of stud^ adopted by 
 those who have "kept up their work", brit by those who have not done so. 
 Vfaat, thsn, is the aocplsnation of the apparent contradiction or disorepcmoy 
 in the testimony? Is it not this? In questions 4 and 10 the students 
 were describing their stu<3y habits, end were telling of things and sittat- 
 tiona as they aetually knew and had experienced then, while in question 9 
 they were, by the very nature of the problsra itself, undoubtedly inclined 
 to write of than, not so much as things or sittiations are, but as they 
 are intended or supposed to be. The answers to qusstion 9 migltit be said 
 to tend to take on more of a bookish or aoadanio atmosphere, while the 
 ■■— toBptation woiild not neoesasrily be present in making their replies 
 to questions 4 and 10. IMy we not, therefi) re, assuae that they were 
 speaking out of what they had aetually experienced and knev about exajnina- 
 tions, and not so auoh "out of the book", as they would be the more likely 
 to be doing in answer to question 9? It is iius Tory probable that we 
 baire nore of what they actually tliought and believed in the replies to 
 questions 4 and 10 than we have in question 9* 
 
 This viewpoint is further corroborated in the data presented in 
 questions 5 and 6. In question mnber 5, forty-five acknowledged to 
 "eraaBiing", They were not asked to do so. The belief is held tl»t if 
 the direot question, "Do yow cram for exsminationsT" had been put, flroa 
 seventy to ninety per cent, would have acknowledged doing so. (This 
 question was put to a grotp of thirty-five students recently with results 
 .yi- abcnt as indicated.) And in the sixth question, fifty-six students gave 
 it as their several opinions that their U8i»l study was more valuable 
 
no. 
 
 than tholr stutSy for •asnnimtion, fbr th» rwisans, as already stiggaetad^ 
 iAmibo* of orasmingt follonring their Individual interests, and the like. 
 
 The set aauaiaatlon vas indirectly oritioised in the students 
 •uggestions fbr impraring such WTni nut ions. Thirty-fire •uggested that 
 the set eiaadnation be abolished eUtar outright or hy a sobstitution of 
 an entirely difTerent type of exaoination. The vide ranga of remediea 
 •uggssted of oourse inply an equal^ vide range of things to be reasdied* 
 The abuses thus indirectly complained of were chiefly in regard to (1) 
 the lack of proper oorrelation between the length of titae alloaed for 
 the examination and the nnaber of questions asked or required to be 
 answered; (2) the type or nature of the questions asked; and (3) the 
 too great value or veigitt usually attached to suc^ eoauiinations in the 
 matter of detewining the student's mark or standing. These things 
 agree aith the urongp of the set eoBsmimtion coaplained of in the fn>eoed« 
 ing question. Fifty-four students brou^it the cbarge, in question 10, 
 that the set examination is unfair because of the presence or possibility 
 of oatoh questions, and seventy students in their plans to improve the 
 •et encsml nation suggested a ehaage either in the type or oharaoter of 
 the question, or an increased range of choice of qvsstions. Twenty- 
 eight atudants objected to the method of sampling as not being a fair 
 teat, vhile twanty-f cor suggested that the basis for grading or marking 
 be broadened, being made to incltide class troxk, papers, reports, und so 
 on, in addition to mid-terms and finals. All this, of oourse, raises 
 many problass that really lie outside of this study, and which ve cannot 
 
Ul. 
 
 hfope to solrre nor, as v« are hare oonoemed only vith a oonparison of 
 the reotilts obtained firom the ansvers to the queatiozomlre* Ve aay only 
 mi|K**^ thflm in passing* 
 
 In decided oonti^ast to th« results Obtained from qiisstions 9, 10, 
 end 11« Part I, are these on the whole, of questions 8 and 9, Part II* 
 IMr the purpose of this contrast, let iis restate sane of the outstanding 
 fkets* 
 
 Set EnBttlaation Self EacBaniiMition 
 
 Tftifair 64 Fair 41 
 
 Encourages cramming • . • • 48 Inculcated proper study 
 
 habits 86 
 
 Causes bad sasttional states . 31 Produces nonaal eraotional 
 
 states • • 43 
 
 Doss not provide for perscnal Does so provide • • . . 81 
 
 reaction, .self -express ion, 
 etc 17 
 
 Hot a true test by sampling • 28 Is a good measure of 
 
 ability ....... 23 
 
 Ihile these data do xkot prove that the self examination is a 
 better loothod tlian the set examination, yet they do riiov that the weight 
 of the students* opinion is in fscvor of the self exaoination. 
 
 fielatively, large votes ware recorded ly the studants as to tliree 
 passible wBsknemes in the sslf exBoilaation, 
 
 (1) Destroys basis for grading, 
 
 of difficulty of grading ...... 21 
 
 (2) Uay inculcate bad habits of study ... 57 
 
 (3) May be unfair ...31 
 
U2. 
 
 These possible waakxieaaes must, to !>• surev b« taksn note of* 
 It is signifioatit, hmtfvmr, that thqr «>r* nsarly all •ugg^sted only as 
 poaaible wmSBommamp wad not «• being actually ao* Thar* i« a vast dif- 
 ference liatw aaying "This ia so," aid "This laay bo the cose if oon- 
 ditions rtiould be thus or so." And it' is jtwt in this diffsrenoe that 
 the eontraat lies betnreen the ireighing of the set sawwinstion and the 
 evaluation of the self eaaEaalnatian by the students* In the «aae of the 
 they said definitely that this is so, vhile in the latter they 
 praotioally tnaninous in saying that this loay be so tindor certain 
 oonditions* In the fonoer there wls no doubt, tihile in the latter there 
 vas euoh doubt as to the so-called weakness, and this doubt alone would, 
 it Sims, operate in ftiTor of the self eaamination. In answer to this, 
 en the other hand, it mi^t be urged with a coneiderable degree of force, 
 that the doubt in the ninds of the stitdents 'nas due rather to their rela* 
 tive inexperience and tmftmiliarity with the self eaoonination, while in 
 the ease of the set eoamination th^y were en entirely familiar ground, 
 and that with greater aequaintanoe with the self exaninaticn such doubt 
 might be renoved* This is a point, to settle which there is no data, and 
 •e we oay not decide it* It must, however, be dtily rwicgnized. It night 
 be to tlM point here to state that the group of thirty-five students in 
 Moeaticn 121, of wfaioh meaxtica has already been wade, were a^ced nhether 
 they would be willing to be rated in their college work, and passed or 
 not passed, on the basis of the self esaninatian* The vote stood: 
 
 "Tee" ... 54 "Bo" ... 1. 
 
lis. 
 
 The Tot» above aay b« offered In answer to the twenty-one who 
 gave as a weakness of the self exaadnation that it tends to destroy 
 the basis of grading, or increases the diffiotilty of iMirking. The 
 thirty-fomr above might also be presented as a part answer to the 
 forty-eight who aaid In effect that one of the chief -valTjes of the 
 set examination was the fact that it afforded a eonwenient basis for 
 ■arking and grading, and cheeking up on the work of the stxidents. 
 But, it mig^t be asked whether there nay not be some other worthwhile 
 things that are gained in coapensation for the "oonTenient" basis that 
 has been lost, such as opportunity or prorision for the special interests 
 of the students, and whether to encotirage suoh special interests nay 
 not be of even greater iaportanoe than the basis for marking that has 
 apparently been destroyed in the self examination. 
 
 niat the set examination does afford a better basis for Marking 
 is, of course, granted, and this is, in a way, greatly in its faror. 
 But, the question coaes. Is the set examination, therefore, the better 
 of the two methods? llay there not be some di sad-vantages arising from 
 the use of this method that far outweigh any apparent adTantages? We 
 hky already pointed out a few such disadvantages that seem to stand 
 out as a result of this questionnaire; (l) the bad study habits incul- 
 cated by said set examination; and (2) the unwholesome emotional states 
 induced by such examinations. Thus to claim its conTenienee as a basis 
 for marking or checking rxp on the work of the stxKlents as a merit should 
 always be considered in the light of the whole effect of suoh examinatimis. 
 
114. 
 
 Vfty it not b« that ire are paying too high a priee for this Talue? 
 The answer* of the students would seen to indicate that we do. 
 
 We night also offer as an answer to the twwity««ie students 
 who pointed out that the basis of narking is largely destroyed in 
 the self exanination, the twenty«>four students who suggested that a 
 ■eans of inpro-ring the set examination was to broaden the basis of 
 grading or narking* thus approaching the basis of the self examination. 
 
 As against the fifty-seven who stiggested the possibility of the 
 self examination inculcating bad habits of study, we may put the soTenty- 
 two who Toted that their study in preparation for the self exanination 
 was by far the more valuable. Thus, when pxxt to a test, the habits of 
 study inctiloated by the self examination seem to show up rather well. 
 So, also, against the thirty-one who indioated that the self examination 
 night be unfair, we nay again put the thirty-four out of the thirty-five 
 who expressed their willingness to be rated in their college work on the 
 basis of the self examination. 
 
 The data of the ninth question of Part II serves as a further 
 
 oheek on the data above, and really substantiates suoh data. For the 
 
 sake of contrast, we shall here restate that data in brief. In ecai- 
 
 paring the self and set examinations, eighty students took a definite 
 
 stand for the self examination, one voted for the set examination, 
 
 twenty were non-oomaittal or indefinite, and nine did not vote at all. 
 
 Typical attitudes toward the self examination are: 
 
 "It is more pleasant even though it may take twice as long as 
 to answer the questicms of a set examination." 
 
fe-e.**- 
 
115. 
 
 *It is a paper of our own inTenti<»i and naturally Is nor* 
 intarssting and not so Irksome as sosia tasks." 
 
 ThuSf froa arery angla visfwed, the vota of th« students is 
 
 deoisively in fAvor of the self exaaination. The reasons for this 
 
 attitude that have stood out proednently are: 
 
 (1) It is fair. 
 
 (2) It allows for enough time to do the work. 
 (S) It is oonducire of proper emotional states. 
 
 (4) It proTides opportunity for self expression, personal 
 
 react i<m« Judgments of worth. 
 
 (5) Allows for the special interests of the students* 
 Any one of the five items abore would alone be greatly to 
 
 the credit of the examinational method that pro-rides such a state or 
 opportunity. The fact, then, that all fire are given as inherent 
 characteristics of the self examination is of luxasual significance. 
 
116. 
 
 Chapter VII. 
 RETROSPECT. 
 
 The data haring all been presented and considered, both 
 separately and in contrast, and such interpretations of the data 
 as seemed to arise out of the contrast and comparison, made, there 
 remains to take a retrospect of the study as a trhole, to offer such 
 criticisms of the procedure as may be desirable or justifiable, to 
 add any suggestions for a further study of the problem, as might 
 appear to be necessary or adTi sable, and to evaluate the net results 
 and draw suoh conclusions as may seem to follow. 
 
 A. Criticism of the Method. 
 
 It was stated at the outset that the pxirpose of the study was 
 not to find whether or not there was this or that kind of evidence, 
 but rather to find out, as nearly as possible, exactly what was in 
 the minds of the students in regard to these matters. It was with 
 this purpose in mind that the questions were framed after the manner 
 in which they were given in the questionnaire. That this aim was or 
 was not reached does not appear in the form of direct evidence. 
 There is, however, some indirect evidence that sttch aim was not fully 
 accomplished. One of these has already been given, the eTident 
 misinterpretation of several of the questions, as shown in the replies* 
 There are one or two others that deserve mention, and which may not be 
 of the least importance. 
 
117. 
 
 It will be noted that in I, 1 and 7, and II, 1 and 6, possible 
 descriptiTe terms were given in explanation of irhat was meant by the 
 question. The query, of course, comes, "To what extent did these 
 ■uggestions affect the answers of the studentst" This possibility 
 was recognized and in part guarded against by the directions to the 
 students, (1) not to limit themselves to the use of the terms suggested, 
 but to notice the "etc.," and (2) to describe their feelings as they 
 actually are or were in the matter. The seune terms were also used« 
 as well as the same order followed in every instance. There is, perhaps, 
 sane eridence of the influence of suggnstion, in spite of these pre- 
 cautions, and the piling up of seme of the terms as a consequence. 
 But this does not explain the rather frequent occurrence of such terms 
 as "anxious," "anxiety," "dread," "dreadful," "nervous," "nervousness," 
 "worry," "worried," of the unfavorable terms in the case of the set 
 examination. These terms appeared in the aggregate, fifty-one times, 
 or in nearly fifty per cent of the replies to answer I, 1. "Afraid," 
 "anxiety," "anxious," "excited," "excitement," "nervous," "nervousness," 
 "tenseness," "tension," and "worried," appeared in I, 7, the mfavorable 
 list, fifty-four times in all. These were not in the suggested list, 
 Heither would such list explain the appearance of the terms, used in 
 favor of the self examination, in II, 1, as "glad," "gladness," 
 "interest," "interested," "relief," "relieved," and "satisfied," 
 "satisfaction," which occurred in all thirty times; nor in II, 6, the 
 terms "interest," "interesting," and "satisfaction," used together 
 thirty-seven times. "Enjoy," enjoyable," etc., used alone nine times. 
 
118. 
 
 ima not inoltided with tho faTorablo terms aboTe* as it night be said 
 to be derired from or was suggested by the term "joy", whioh was in 
 the list. There is also some eTidenoe that this suggested list Hiy 
 hare influenced the terras in fayor of the set examinatier-, witness 
 the term "pleasure," used ten times in I, 1; and the unfarorable 
 terwi as well in the case of the self examination, as "resentment," 
 used six times, II, 1, The indefinite or neutral terms may also in " 
 both cases have been thus influenced; as, "indifference," "indifferent," 
 used forty-one and twenty-fotur times respeotively in I, 1, and I, 7; 
 and twenty-one and seven times eaoh in II, 1, and II, 6« 
 
 Since, however, there is no -way of measuring the exact influence 
 such list of terms had on their selection, or use, all we may do ia 
 to call attention to the possibility of such influence. It might also 
 be suggested that the wide range of term* selected and actually used 
 by the students in itself may be an evidence that they consciously 
 attempted to avoid being influenced by the terms In the list. Th« 
 investigator would be inclined either to omit explanatory terms alto- 
 gether, in any further study in this field, and to adopt some other 
 maans of making clear what was wanted, or else to try to give an in- 
 elusive list of descriptive terms, in which list the student would be 
 asked to cheek the appropriate term or terms. 
 
 One other major criticism nay be offered, and that is the one 
 Involved in the difficulty encountered, as already alluded to, in 
 
119. 
 
 elassifying the replies of the students tinder anything Ilk© mutually 
 exolusiTe terms, without perhaps too ouoh forcing and the possible 
 loss of not a little meaning as a consequence. To avoid this diffi- 
 culty, the questionnaire might be prepared tinder the principle of 
 mutually exclusive term*, if that were possible, and another sttidy 
 ■ade tjnder such a plan. There wotild be a question, however, whether 
 by this procedtjre one would or cotild acttially get what was in tha 
 minds of the students. It would yet seem well worth while to tmder- 
 take a new study after the manner indicated. And this leads us tip 
 to another consideration of this concluding chapter, viz., stiggestions 
 of still tinsolved problems, and which wotild consequently require further 
 study, 
 
 P. Additional Problems for Sttidy. 
 
 In addition to the problems 8t:|ggested by this study and already 
 mentioned, and the suggestions for ftirther study that have been mada^ 
 there are still several other problems not as yet pointed out, that 
 wotild have a bearing on the final solution of the relative merits of 
 the self and set examinations as educational means, as well as som 
 suggestions for ftirther study that should be made. It will not, of 
 course, be possible to point out all of the problems that might arise 
 in the solution of the major problem stated above. We nay here only 
 outline in a broad imy some of the minor yet ftindamental problsaa 
 involved in the tthole question. To entmerate just a few of thes* 
 we would have, (1) the matter of marking or grading a self examination 
 
120. 
 
 manuscript. In abolishing the list of questions common to all in 
 the set exanination, the manuscripts in the self esnusinatlonf both 
 as to the natter of approach and organlBatlon are often as different 
 as the persona writing then. Under objections to the r:elf examination, 
 II, 8, this ims one of the points raised, to the effect that the self 
 examination tends to destroy the oooaon basis of marking. A solution 
 to this problem might be in the direction of the marking scheme adopted 
 to grade term papers, inritten on different subjects by the different 
 students. (2) A second inrestlgation would have to consider to iihat 
 extent the self examination "opens the road to dishonesty," as one 
 student put it. Would It open the door to cheating any more -widely 
 than the set examination? What is the correlation between the elasent 
 of chance in the set examination and the cheating that is done in such 
 set examination, as judged by (a) newspaper accounts of expulsions for 
 that offense, the reports of the Student Affairs CocBBittee, as published 
 in The Dally Californian ; (b) the personal testimony of students, both 
 oral smd written; and (o) the Implied evidence in the atten^t itself 
 to estAblish the "honor system* in exajainations? To triiat extent wotild 
 the self examination tend to become a formal or stereotyped ntatter, 
 and thus encourage the handing down of prepared manuscripts by on* 
 student generation to the next? Wotild It also require an "honor 
 system" to enforce it? Would the "open door" render cheating less or 
 more probable? (S) A third problem, and partly allied to the foregoing 
 problem would be a further study into the effect on the study habits 
 
121. 
 
 of the Btudents that the self examination -wotild •otmlly hare? Would 
 It degenerate into mere outlining or summarizing, lacking the element 
 of interpretation and personal reaction? Would students oome to depend 
 too much on the book? What are the study habits actually engendered 
 by the set examination? Which method tends to inculcate the better 
 study habits? (4) Another problem that might hare been considered in 
 connection -with (2) and (S) above, is. Would the self examination 
 tend to be unfair to the conscientious sttident t*o does his work 
 daily, by permitting the slacker to "cram", so to speak, even for the 
 self examinatioi, and thus be able to write a paper of sufficient 
 quality or worth to "get by," with perhaps even a better mark than 
 said conscientious student? Would It give more opportunity in this 
 direction than the set examination? (5) Would a general use of th« 
 self examination tend to Impair memory; or rather, would it fail to 
 provide adequate memory training? What is the effect or the set * 
 •xamlnation on memory? 
 
 With the apparatxis used by psychologists U measure the effects 
 of different emotions or enotlonal states on the Individual by testing 
 certain secretions, following or as a result of such emotional state, 
 similar tests might be made as to the effects of the emotional states 
 caused or produced by both the self and the set examination. Which 
 type of examination is conducive of the better emotional states? 
 What is the effect of the different emotional states on the learning 
 process? All these problems and more might fittingly be taken up and 
 investigated. 
 
122. 
 
 If it should be found, after inveetigating the method of the 
 self examination in its different phases as suggested, that it is on 
 the whole superior to the set examination as eduoaticmal means, there 
 would remain the further problem as to what lerels in school it would 
 be adapted for use. Could it be used with equal success with elementary 
 school, high school, and college or university students? Is it peculiarly 
 adapted for use in any particular school level? What modiflca+.ions wotild 
 it hare to undergo, if any, withoirt doing violence to the principle of 
 the self examination, to adapt it for use in the several school levels? 
 We should also have to consider to what extent it is adapted for -use 
 in any and all subjects. Are there some subjects that would not readily 
 lend themselves to its use? Are there other subjects that are especially 
 well adapted to such a method? What subjects fbll into each category 
 and why? What adaptations could be made of the method so as to be 
 :-uitable for use in subjects that might at first be thought not to lend 
 themselves to such a method? 
 
 And last, but not least, what is the relation of bur examinational 
 methods to the method of teaching? Would the self examination be adapted^ 
 for instance, as a proper method of examination in a purely lecture a^nj 
 assigned reading course? Which of the two methods is the better adapted 
 to such a course? Would the use of the self exam^' nation demand or require 
 a fundamental change in our methods of teaching in order to make the use 
 of such examination most valuable? 
 
 After we had answered the foregoing questions and still others 
 besides, and had brought the several results together, we might hope 
 to give a more adequate answer to the question, "What is the value of 
 the self examination as educational means?" 
 
123. 
 
 C. The Wet Resultg. 
 
 What* then, may be considered to be the net of results of the 
 study? In the first place, it aay be safely said that what has been 
 clearly shown is that, so far as this particular group of students is 
 concerned, the method of the self examination is by far more acceptable 
 than the set examination. This fact by itself is, of course, not oondu- 
 siTe. It has also been obserTed that students more readily vote a vaca* 
 tion at school than they do more work. It is the reasons for this greater 
 acceptability of the self examination that are significant. Let us look 
 into this matter a little farther. 
 
 They held the self examination as being qttite superior to the set 
 examination because, 
 
 (1) It creates more desirable emotional states in those taking 
 
 it than does the set examination; or, it eliminates the 
 objectionable emotional states found so largely present 
 in the set examination. This situation, if true, and 
 in the experiences of these nearly one hundred twenty 
 students it was found true, is a matter of no little 
 importance. It would certainly seem to be a great gain 
 to eliminate practically all the fear and dread of 
 failing, together with the other unhealthy emotional 
 states, and ought to add Tery materially to the ef» 
 fectiTeness of any method that does this. 
 
 (2) The testimony seemed to show further that the self examination 
 
 inculcates the better study habits. As one sttident put 
 it, the difference between the two is just "the difference 
 between thinking and boning." Another student said that 
 the self examination is "more of a thinking process, solv- 
 ing problems as they appear in your mind, such as one 
 meets all the time in life." 
 
 Thus the consensus of opinion of the students in favor of the 
 self examination is based on their feeling that the self examination 
 
.5SX 
 
 '©a eril ,0 
 
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124. 
 
 fits on« more fully to meet the problems of life than does the set 
 exaninatlon. This conclusion is in direct contrast to the popular 
 opinion that one of the greatest 'values of the set examination is 
 the alleged training it giTes students in meeting and adjusting 
 thflBselvea to crises in life. It is the opinion of the writer that 
 these crises are far less numerous than is ordinarily believed, and 
 especially than is assumed to be the ease vhen the argument is used 
 in faTor of the set examination; and further, that when these crises 
 do come, they are usually of a kind or character for which the taking 
 of set examinations has given little if any training. Atthis point 
 there is opened the whole controversy of formal discipline, general 
 training, or the transfer of training. But we may not enter into 
 such controversy here. We believe, however, that a very careful study 
 should be made, (we know of no such study) as to what extent there are 
 really comparable or similar elemimts between the actual needs or 
 problems of life and the training or power required to meet them, and 
 the elements present in and the training given by the set examination. 
 There would also have to be considered the question* to what extent 
 do set examinations set up interferences in the way of inculcating 
 improper study habits or methods of work, and the like, and thus to 
 that degree render one ineffective rather than effective in meeting 
 said problems of life. 
 
 It was suggested that the simple fact that the students found 
 the self examination the more acceptable of the two methods, would of 
 
125. 
 
 it««lf not be oonoluBiTe aridenc* in flavor of aueh exaalnation, as it 
 ■ight b« oonaidered a "snap* or a "pipe**, or vfaatoTer desoriptiTo tern 
 appliad by the students might fit here. That it is because of any suoh 
 quality or lack of quality in the self examination that it «as found 
 more aooeptable is refuted both by the ansvrers of the students thewielTes 
 and also by the otnraeter and quality of the manuscripts turned in« as 
 well as by their direct testimony. 
 
 Those who are familiar with the kind and eteraetar of the usual 
 set examinations, either mid-terms or finals* also know that it is the 
 wiuaual student irtio is able to write aore than a blue->bookfttl« or mrmn 
 half so much, in a fifty-minute aid-term. In the case of the self 
 •3Eaninati(m the student who does not write a blue-bookful or more for 
 suoh aid-tens is the exoeption. Two blue»bookfuls is not unooamon, 
 and soaatiaes eTen four and five such books are turned in l^ a student. 
 This, of course, does not proTe anything beyond the fact that they 
 actually do spend more tiaa on the self eaaaination than on the set 
 examination. That the quality of the foraer is -better than the latter 
 is not proved. 
 
 Again* it is the almost urmnimous testimony of the students in 
 answer to the direct question, (not made a part of this study, but 
 always asked informally of the students,) as to which aethod of exaai- 
 nation they considered the harder, and which requires the aore work, 
 that the self examination is both harder and requires aore work. And 
 we have already seen that in the face of these flaots as they disooTered 
 then, that the almost invariable answer is that they prefer the self 
 examination to the set exaalnation. 
 
126. 
 
 Second, the inquiry showed further that the self examination 
 was more acceptable than the set examination for the reason that it 
 ■akes what seem to be correct appeals to the instincts, natire 
 capacities, powers, or tendencies, such as self activity, initiatiT*, 
 originality, creatire work, and special interests of the students, 
 while the set examination to them was found inferior in these respects. 
 
 These things being so, there is the indirect conclusion to be 
 drawn that the self examination enlists the sympathies, interest, 
 hearty support and cooperation of the students more successfully and 
 to a greater degree than does the set examination. This was also the 
 direct testimony in their evaluation of the self and set examinationa 
 in II, 9 of the questionnaire. This point then seems to be conclusively 
 ••Ublished both by the direct and indirect testimony returned in the 
 investigation. 
 
 The meaning and value of g;ood will toward, sympathy with, 
 interest in, enthusiasm for, and cooperation with a method in education, 
 all other things being equal, cannot well be overestimated. But we 
 must not draw the hasty conclusion that, therefore, the self examination 
 i« better as educational means than the set examination. Such a eon* 
 elusion would be a "non sequitur." We said, "all things being equal.' 
 All things may not be equal. Whether or not they are, still remains 
 to be proved. We may, however, safely say that in these respects of 
 ■ynpathy with, the enlisting of Interest, and support for, the self 
 examination excels the set examination, and this of itself would sa«a 
 to be a distinct gain. 
 
 n 
 
/Mt^ 
 
127. 
 
 A third value of the study ie this approach adopted for the 
 solution of the problem of examinations as educational means. It opens 
 vp one phase of the whole problem that has not been largely studied, but 
 which certainly must be considered before any adequate solution can be 
 reached. It woxild seem to be an axi(» that it does make a rery great 
 difference what those to whom a method is applied, they being conscious 
 of such method, think of the method and how they react to it In other 
 respeot.s. 
 
 Fourth, new light has been thrown on the set examination as 
 educational means, and its effect or lack of effect in certain directions 
 and to a certain degree hare been measured. 
 
 Fifth, the amount of time devoted to examinations, as well as 
 the money value represented by such time, should call for a scientific 
 study of the problem, to determine what value may safely be attached 
 to examinations, and what place they may rightly hold in our educational 
 scheme. 
 
REFERENCES. 
 
 Cyclopedia of Education , Exami nations, 1911. Edited by Paul Monroe. 
 
 Earle, S. C. Examinations in English. English Journal . Vol. III. 
 
 December « 1914. 
 
 Encyclopedia Britannioa , Examinations. 
 
 Kemp, E, L. History of Education , 1901. J, B. Lippinoott Company. 
 
 Moore, 1. C. VThat is Education? 1915. Oinn and Company. 
 
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