Please read this information before attempting to take the Endterm (Final) Exam!
Endterm (Final) Exam 
The Endterm (Final) Exam folder is located on Blackboard Plaza. However, you will not see any assignments inside the folder until you have submitted the prerequisites (or at the end of the semester for students who have not submitted the prerequisites). (See below for further details.)
Before the two-part Endterm Exam will be available, you must pass a 3-question critical thinking "key quiz" with 100 -- to make the Endterm (Final) Exam available (you have unlimited attempts to earn 100 on the "key" quiz).
The "key quiz" named Endterm Key Quiz ES will be available after the mid-semester point (as noted in the Semester Calendar) when you have passed Textbook Reading Quiz 15 (with minimum 90) -- OR -- if you have not passed this assignment it will be available at the end of the semester, as noted in the semester calendar.
Because of Blackboard platform transfer problems, Respondus Lockdown Browser is NOT required to take the key quiz or the two Endterm (Final) Exam parts. The password for all three is exam.
i.Endterm "Key" Quiz: UNLIMITED attempts, each attempt 4 hours allowed.
This quiz has three multiple choice/matching critical thinking questions, not included in the exam grade, instead the quiz serves a "KEY" to open up the Endterm Exam, part 1 -- the "main" part of the exam -- when you score a 100. The time "needed" for the 3-question "key quiz" is really not more than the 25 minutes allowed for the Endterm Exam, part 1, but to avoid platform problems with multiple-attempt-quizzes the time has been set to allow 4 hours like most quizzes during the semester. When you score 100 on the "Endterm Key Quiz" the Endterm (Final) Exam, part 1, will become available.
ii. Endterm (Final) Exam, part 1: ONE attempt, 25 minutes allowed.
Unlike the Reading Quizzes you have only ONE timed attempt (25 minutes) for the Endterm (Final) Exam, part 1. It will be available anytime when you have passed the Endterm Key Quiz ES with 100. The exam has 25 questions -- all multiple choice or True or False questions. The 25 minutes is plenty of time (most of you are going to finish the exam in 15 - 20 minutes). Don't wait until the last day to take the exam. The test is set to NOT allow backtracking -- i.e., it prevents changing the answers to a question that has already been submitted. When you submit the Endterm (Final) Exam, part 1, the Endterm (Final) Exam, part 2, will become available. Also note: Once started, this Test must be completed in one sitting.
iii. Endterm (Final) Exam, part 2: ONE attempt, 6 minutes allowed.
You have only ONE timed attempt (6 minutes; set short to make sure that you submit most answers without help of a map, so that you demonstrate geography knowledge; still plenty of time if you know your geography -- the instructor completed the test in about 2 minutes...). The exam has 2 questions (in other words about an average of 3 minutes per question allowed) -- with several Fill-In-The-Blanks -- for each question you are asked to fill in 10 names of selected countries displayed on a map (see the Geography Test link on the Environmental Hub for more information). Just as part 1, part 2 of the test is set to NOT allow backtracking -- i.e., it prevents changing the answers to a question that has already been submitted (but you can change the 10 country names any time before you submit the question). NOTE AGAIN: To as much as possible prevent students from looking up the answers on a map the time for this part of the exam is set to only 6 MINUTES... The test will shut down after 6 minutes... Also note: Once started, this Test must be completed in one sitting (if you leave the test page the test will close).
If you have an unreliable computer or Internet access, take the test using a reliable STC computer.
FAQ about the Endterm Exam:
FAQ 1: "What should I study for the final exam?"
Instructor comment: The question is NOT what should you study, but rather what HAVE you studied during the semester, since the exam is mostly based on the open book reading quizzes (so you might want to repeat them even if you scored the minimum grade required in your first attempt), the reading assignments (so don't skip the reading just because you can post without reading anything in the class discussions), and the open map book Geography Drills you have worked on during the semester (make sure you know the names and locations of the countries indicated).
Obviously, since you can take the exam online from home, you are allowed to use your books -- there is no way to control if you use them or not. However, the test is timed and you will NOT have time to look up the answers to all questions. Unless you are extremely fast (and no one is that fast) and very WELL ORGANIZED -- with all answers marked in your textbook and worked out on study notes, for the final exam you actually have to know the answer to some of the questions...
In other words, even though it is an "open book" final exam, the goal is for you to show the instructor that you actually have learned something during the semester...
FAQ 2: "We only have 25 minutes on the first part of the exam?"
Instructor comment: If you don't know the answer after 1 minute -- you will not know the answer after 25 minutes either. If you have studied well and learned, you have PLENTY of time. However, if you have NOT studied well and NOT learned -- well, as already stated, unlike the reading quizzes there is not enough time to locate all the answers in your books.
Understand that it is normal that some students may not be able to finish all questions. Unlike the reading quizzes you are NOT expected to EARN at least the minimum 90. The Final Exam is set up, hopefully, to only allow A-students to EARN an A. If you have not learned much this semester -- in other words you need to look up all the answers in the textbook -- you may EARN an F on the Endterm Exam.
FAQ 3: "We only have 5 minutes on the second part of the exam?"
>Instructor comment: Geography is important -- and many students "bum" this part of the exam and answer with hilarious names on the test, placing China in Europe or Iran in North America. Some students cannot even point out the United states on a world map. You have had the whole semester to study the maps -- if you don't know anything about the world at the end of the semester you might bum the geography part of the Endterm Exam. You have 3.5 months to learn the names and locations of countries a person who calls himself/herself educated should know...
FAQ 4: "I didn't get a good grade on the final exam. Will I get an F in the class now?"
Instructor comment: This question indicates that either the student has not looked at the grading criteria for the class (and have no idea what the final exam is worth), or the student has poor math skills (and don't understand the basic concept of "percent").
The final exam grade might vary slightly with class and semester, but let's assume in order to make the math easy that the exam is worth 10 percent. That means that if a student "bum" the test worth 100 and only earn a 10, the student will loose 90 percent of the test grade. The test is worth 10 percent of the total biology grade and since 90 is 9 percent of the test grade, the student loose 9 percent of the total 10 percent the exam is worth.
Now assume the student has scored 100 on all other class assignments (most assignments in class will earn that grade -- OR -- nothing). 100 - 9 = 91. The student will earn a 91 in this class, letter grade A, even though the final exam was bummed with a 10 (which indicates that the student has learned basically NOTHING in class). Of course, if a student didn't earn a 100 on all other assignments -- which usually means that that students skipped assignments -- well, that is a different story...
A really high grade on the final exam might better your total biology grade, and a really low might lower it. Again, how much lower you will find out if you study the Grading Criteria. An "F" on the final exam may not be "catastrophic" if you already have a high grade average in class (which should tell you to take advantage of the easy assignments and NOT skip anything that will help your grade in this class...)
I am sure you will do fine! Good luck!
Dr. Nilsson
Disclaimer: The final exam may be changed due to unforeseen circumstances to meet the needs of a particular class. The instructor therefore reserves the right to alter (add, delete, or revise) any items of the above, online or via verbal instructions in class. The student is responsible for taking note of any such changes and acting accordingly.
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