At this time of year, I am mostly to be found marking online scripts.
Examining is an important job, and one that I really enjoy doing - especially writing question papers.
However, at this point in the examining season, 2 weeks into electronic marking, I start to get a bit stir crazy. So here are a few comments which, next year, you might like to pass on to your students.
1. Don't write anywhere except on the lines. If you need to write
more, get additional sheets and use them. It may be slightly different
for different online marking software, but for the one I use it's a real
pain to try and find the answer. We can't flip over the page, or
easily check at the bottom of page, or follow arrows and stars. Use
extra paper.
2. Get a decent pen. The scripts are scanned, and pale inks just don't show up well.
3. Data is plural. That means that 'Do the data show....' is actually
gramatically correct. Your examiner does not appreciate being told
that they are wrong, or having the script corrected. A smiley face doesn NOT make it better.
4. If asked for 3 conclusions writing 'X does have an effect....', 'X
doesn't have an effect...', and 'X could have an effect....' will not
get you any marks. Make up your mind and choose one.
5. If you're going to write 'I can't believe you asked this' then make sure you get the answer right.
