Take Home Essay Examination Expectations
 
 

On Dr. Petress' examinations, students are expected to: (a) correctly use course and discipline vocabulary [note: students having taken previous Communication courses are expected to transfer terminology learned from other courses, when appropriate to present courses; (b) employ insights and information gleaned from other courses and life events to exam question responses -- such incorporation should complement what is learned in present classes; (c) respond to examination questions fully, accurately, directly, completely [but not verbosely], and unambiguously; (d) support arguments, assertions, and claims [note: excessive personal experience, interview, and/or internet sources are not accepted as substitutes for hard-nosed/laborious attempts to locate books and scholarly journal sources to support your responses -- also, dated sources will be looked upon suspiciously when more current work is readily available]; and (e) take a stance on issues, not try to be dialectic and giving all sides to issues.

Take-home tests are expected to be proofread, eliminating all mechanical errors [ie: misspellings, grammar errors, word usage problems, etc. Students are strongly advised to keep copies of their work on computer disc -- to save ongoing work often and to keep the finished product at least until it has been evaluated and returned to the student.

Take-home tests are learning exercises; they ought not be taken light heartedly. Such exams allow students to showcase what they have learned.

Take-home exams will be handed in on time.