Hmm, by the sound of it, I suspect you may have found the test <i>unfamiliar</i>, and so allow me to explain a little bit on my intention for the test (or at least my part of it).

In my opinion, tests provide opportunities to reflect on one's own understanding of the subject, in fact they are the <strong>only </strong>opportunity for most taught courses. In other words, course tests are assessments <strong>for </strong>learning, unlike the final exam which is an assessment <strong>of </strong>learning. I have written the questions with exactly that intention in mind, and so it was, in a way, expected if you found the test <em>unfamiliar, </em>but it was almost certainly not <em>different </em>to what is covered in class, in the problems made available to you, and in the assignments. Remember 'learning' is not simply about regurgitating 'procedures' and recalling 'information', rather it is about your ability to critically think, critique, and reflect on new information <strong>against</strong> your existing knowledge or belief.

My intent in any of the internal assessments is, and have always been, to expose you to potential holes, uncertainties, and flaws in your understanding which you may not have picked up purely by studying off notes. In other words, the test is an opportunity for you to reflect upon your own <i>mastery </i>of the subject which consists of both <i>understanding </i>and <i>familiarity,</i> and one does not necessarily imply the other: You can practice as many past exemplars, problems, and tests but it will only get you as far as becoming familiar with the topic (i.e., you’ve ‘seen’ the context before) but it does not necessarily mean that you have understood the topic. Conversely, you can read all the notes’, textbooks’, and coursebooks’ descriptions and understand the information they convey, but it does not necessarily mean you can answer <i>any </i>questions related to the context.

The above philosophy is essentially the underlying rationale behind the test – I have set the questions with the goal of letting the class (irrespective of whether you are at the top or the bottom) realise what you do <b>and </b>do not know in hope that everyone would pick up those (or at least some) gaps and have it sorted before the final examination. Of course, if everyone performed well, then the test is not very informative in terms of giving you constructive feedback.

But I do hope that you will use the <strong>remainder of </strong><strong>our times together</strong> to have any misunderstandings resolved ;-)

Hope this helps.