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Important Information about the Comprehensive Exam

Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing & Elementary Education

Date/Time/Place

The next Comprehensive Exam will be given in April 2009.  It will begin at 9 AM.  The exact date and room assignment have not yet been made.

Format

Three questions, each must be answered.

Students must pass all three questions to pass the exam.

Each question is read by two readers.  If the readers disagree, a third reader is given the paper.

Topics

1. One question from Elementary Education deals with the dynamics of setting and constituent players currently found in a typical classroom.
2. One question from Deaf Education deals with philosophical issues related to current educational trends/practices.
3. One question from Deaf Education deals with identifying educational practices specific to a case study.

General Overview

This exam offers a way for you to synthesize the most significant points from the courses you have completed for your Master of Arts Degree. Emphasis is placed on the ability to apply the information you have learned during your program of study to practical issues in teaching.  Answers should underscore the importance of educators to:

• know, understand, and communicate the content of subject(s) taught
• recognize and utilize appropriate pedagogical strategies
• encourage students to become critical and creative thinkers
• promote lifelong learning
• capitalize on learning strengths
• recognize and respect a diversity of cultural backgrounds, abilities and talents
• serve as advocates for children and families
• understand the political nature of teaching
• inspire and motivate
• employ effective communication skills
• demonstrate professional demeanor and attitudes

 

Your essays should be as clear as concise as possible. Whenever appropriate, you should cite research that supports your contentions; personal opinions are acceptable only when substantiated by current research. Narrative answers should illustrate the organization and reflection of current philosophical beliefs and pedagogical practices.

 

Preparing for the Comprehensive Exam

 

Graduate comprehensive exams are closed book; prepared notes are not allowed. It is not advised to attempt to take the exam “cold.” Purposeful studying is strongly suggested. To reduce your stress level, you should prepare thoroughly for the exam.

1. Do not procrastinate! Start early enough so that you do not end up cramming at the last minute.
2. Set up a scheduled study plan. Review the material on a regular basis. Follow your schedule!
3. Generate a list of possible questions and write down key words, terms, theories, and theorists that could be used to build a strong response to those questions.
4. Review your textbooks and class notes from your courses. Focus on how classes are interrelated and how all topics complement each other.
5. Read journal articles and additional books on the material that will be covered on the exam. Become familiar with and able to cite relevant theorists/theories/literature (major works) in the field. Use mnemonics as needed in the memorization process. 
6. Prepare charts or other types of visual summaries of theorists and research findings. Make outlines of relevant information.
7. Form a study group. Share your class notes and your knowledge with the members of your group.
8. Practice writing responses, including timed writing sessions.Have someone go over your essays and give you feedback.

 

Taking the Comprehensive Exam

 

1. Before the exam day, get a good night’s sleep and have a good breakfast. Arrive feeling that you prepared yourself well enough through your studying so that you are confident and relaxed.
2. Manage your time efficiently and effectively. Divide the time allotted and limit yourself to equal time amounts per question. Include time to proofread and make changes.
3. Read the instructions and questions carefully. Determine the main topic and sub-topics embedded into each single question.
4. Utilize Prewriting Strategies. Generate and write down ideas and a pattern of organization. Strategies to support the flow of ideas for your response may include: concept mapping, webs, clustering, etc.
5. Establish a thesis statement to help you determine the tone and direction of your writing (the thesis statement should be written in a clear, direct manner that includes your exact topic plus your approach toward that topic).
6. Include enough information to effectively state your case and support your thesis. Decide a logical order to present your ideas.
7. Define relevant terms to provide further clarity.
8. Include concrete examples, cite references/authors as appropriate.
9. Re-read and revise your work accordingly. First evaluate your response globally, looking for gaps in the overall development. Then carefully examine each part of the essay to be sure that your thesis is clearly stated with details supporting your main points and that your conclusion reviews the thesis statement.
10. Edit your work. Take advantage of the spell check feature on the computer, but also read through your work to look for spelling and grammatical errors.
11. Number your pages and remember to save frequently.
12. Do not leave early! Use every minute of your time productively.

 

General Information on Essay Writing

 

Essays generally require you to include three main sections:

Introduction

 

The introduction should begin with the general issue. After identifying and providing background information about the broad subject, take the reader step by step to an understanding of why the specific focus you have chosen is relevant to that subject.

An introduction usually ends with some sort of statement of your focus ( a focal statement or purpose statement ). This statement tells the reader specifically what point you are going to make in your essay , and if possible how you are going to go about doing that. You may find it helpful to write the introduction last or at least revise it substantially after the main body of the essay has been written.

Body

The body should follow logically from your focal statement and support it consistently. Use section headings where appropriate, if required. Keep referring back to the focal statement with each new piece of information you bring in, to ensure that it is relevant to the point you want to make in your essay.

The body is made up of a series of paragraphs. Paragraphs may be described as packages of information each beginning with a topic sentence. The topic sentence defines the content or topic of the paragraph , just as the focal statement for the essay defines the specific topic of the essay. The topic of the paragraph is then expanded with sentences, which may develop the topic by providing examples, details, evidence or analogies .

Make sure the ideas flow clearly from one sentence to the next. Use illustrations and tables where they clarify your text or are more efficient than text. A broader concluding sentence for the paragraph may sometimes be provided to tie the information together and remind the reader how it relates to the focus of the essay.

Conclusion

Information in the conclusion moves from the specific to the general. The conclusion must not simply repeat information given earlier, but must synthesize the ideas in the essay to form a response to the issue raised by the essay topic.

Restate the focal statement of the essay. Summarize the main points of the supporting paragraphs as they are relevant to your synthesis. End with a broader concluding statement about how the assignment question relates to the more general issues described in the introduction.

The general rule is that no new information should be brought into the conclusion: everything in it should follow logically from the information presented to the reader in your essay.

 

~prepared by Jean Slobodzian