The Indigenous

Integrated Seminar 101

Learning Activity A: Assessing Your Growth as Neophytes - Exams

As a neophyte undergoing a rite of passage and a pilgrimage in this seminar, it is important to periodically assess your growth.  To accomplish this you will take three "exams," covering lecture presentations, events, videos, and textbook readings.    These exams are cumulative in nature, as questions draw upon materials considered and discussed in previous sections of the course. 

1. The first exam will be a written in-class essay exam, and not an "objective" test, not asking true-false or multiple-choice questions.  In this exam, a series of short and long essay questions will be posed.  You will be asked to select and respond to a limited number of these questions.  Each student will be given the essay exam.  It is critical to include in your essay responses illustrative examples from the readings: assigned textbooks, HTML and PDF materials.

2. The second "exam" will be a family-group in-the-round oral recitation.   Your family group will study together, review the seminar materials and respond as a group to questions posed by the instructor.   Your family will schedule a time, outside of the seminar, when all members can meet with the instructor.  Allow up to 2 hours for the in-the-round.  As a group exam, each members grade will be dependent on the collective competency of the family.  It is critical to include in your verbal responses illustrative examples from the readings: assigned textbooks, HTML and PDF materials.  In addition, each member of the family will be asked to share an oral tradition as part of this recitation, the storytelling component of the recitation.  If you are going "Cosechin" this exam will be taken as an individual written exam; schedule time with instructor.

3. The final "exam" will be take-home essay responded to be each student individually.  This exam is designed to be more reflective in nature, and apply what you have learned this semester to a significant current problem.   It is critical to include in your take-home essay illustrative examples from the readings: assigned textbooks, HTML and PDF materials and videos.    Grading Criteria Specific to the Final Exam.

Exams must be taken at their assigned times and dates. In the event of a documented emergency, a make-up essay exam must be take within one week of returning to class.  The student must notify the instructor prior to an absence from an exam date (by phone or e-mail, or in person).

Grading criteria, for 45% of your total grade:

• accurately presents the material requested in the questions.
• completely covers the breadth of issues posed in the questions.
• refers to and integrates appropriate case examples from the textbooks, PDFs, HTMLs, videos, class presentations to illustrate concepts developed in the essay response.
• makes theoretical and/or ethnographic connections with related religious, aesthetic and cultural expressions.
• reflects on the implications of the issues posed in the questions as they relate to your own experiences.
• written/spoken in a legible and well-organize style with concepts and illustrative examples clearly articulated.
• Inclusive of Grading Rubrics  and Grading Criteria Specific to the Final Exam

Study Guide for exams