Guest guest Posted September 14, 2005 Report Posted September 14, 2005 Dear teachers of TCM in the States I was just curious as to what type of questions and level of questions that colleges in the States give their herb students, In particular I am interested in first year herbolgy. I teach 1st yr herbology over a 3 term period, 9 weeks x 3 terms, at 3 hours a week. An exam is at the end of each term.We use Bensky/Clavey eg questions - List 3 key characeristics of huang bai. -What are the contraindications for long dan cao? -ma huang treats asthma . T or F or something like -explain the use of huang lian and xi xin and how their natures help each other. I would be curious how hard or easy your standard is. Heiko Lade M.H.Sc.(TCM) Lecturer and clinic supervisor Auckland College of Natural Medicine Website: www.acnm.co.nz Quote
Guest guest Posted September 15, 2005 Report Posted September 15, 2005 Dear Heiko, I teach exactly what you teach: first year herbology over a one year period, but 15 weeks x 3 terms, 3 hours a week, so the course is a total of 135 hours. I have attached a few sample questions from my final exam for herbs 3 from 2003, which covers tonics. My third trimester final exam is not cumulative for the entire year, only for the trimester. I found your questions to be good, except the one on Ma Huang (too easy!). I also don't like to mix true/false questions into an exam that also contains multiple choice and essay questions, because there is a 50% chance of getting it right by guessing. I do like to use comparisons for at least part of my exam, so students really need to know the herbs and their properties intimately. Julie Chambers - Heiko Lade Wednesday, September 14, 2005 7:33 PM herb exam questions Dear teachers of TCM in the States I was just curious as to what type of questions and level of questions that colleges in the States give their herb students, In particular I am interested in first year herbolgy. I teach 1st yr herbology over a 3 term period, 9 weeks x 3 terms, at 3 hours a week. An exam is at the end of each term.We use Bensky/Clavey eg questions - List 3 key characeristics of huang bai. -What are the contraindications for long dan cao? -ma huang treats asthma . T or F or something like -explain the use of huang lian and xi xin and how their natures help each other. I would be curious how hard or easy your standard is. Heiko Lade M.H.Sc.(TCM) Lecturer and clinic supervisor Auckland College of Natural Medicine Website: www.acnm.co.nz Quote
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2005 Report Posted September 16, 2005 I like to add mechanisms so that students get the big picture and theory behind it all too. For example: Which of the following properties allows Ma Huang to release the exterior? bitter pungent green illegal, etc. On Sep 15, 2005, at 9:31 PM, JulieJ8 wrote: > Dear Heiko, > > I teach exactly what you teach: first year herbology over a one > year period, but 15 weeks x 3 terms, 3 hours a week, so the course > is a total of 135 hours. I have attached a few sample questions > from my final exam for herbs 3 from 2003, which covers tonics. My > third trimester final exam is not cumulative for the entire year, > only for the trimester. I found your questions to be good, except > the one on Ma Huang (too easy!). I also don't like to mix true/ > false questions into an exam that also contains multiple choice and > essay questions, because there is a 50% chance of getting it right > by guessing. I do like to use comparisons for at least part of my > exam, so students really need to know the herbs and their > properties intimately. > > Julie Chambers > > > - > Heiko Lade > > Wednesday, September 14, 2005 7:33 PM > herb exam questions > > > Dear teachers of TCM in the States > I was just curious as to what type of questions and level of > questions that colleges in the States give their herb students, > In particular I am interested in first year herbolgy. > I teach 1st yr herbology over a 3 term period, 9 weeks x 3 terms, > at 3 hours a week. An exam is at the end of each term.We use Bensky/ > Clavey > eg questions > - List 3 key characeristics of huang bai. > -What are the contraindications for long dan cao? > -ma huang treats asthma . T or F > or something like > -explain the use of huang lian and xi xin and how their natures > help each other. -- Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Quote
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2005 Report Posted September 16, 2005 Al, Since I like to teach by category (as I know you do too), I'd say one of the first things my students learn about the entire category of releasing the exterior is that there is pungency. Therefore, I would consider this a very elementary question and rather too easy. But I do agree with your approach. Julie - Friday, September 16, 2005 10:23 AM Re: herb exam questions I like to add mechanisms so that students get the big picture and theory behind it all too. For example: Which of the following properties allows Ma Huang to release the exterior? bitter pungent green illegal, etc. Quote
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2005 Report Posted September 16, 2005 I consider those commonalities to a category to be the most important thing to teach. I figure that if I can get students to know which category an herb belongs to after taking a year's worth of herbs, we're ahead of the curve. The more they know about mechanisms and properties as applied to a category, the less they have to memorize (and later forget). I try not to load up my students with data, but stress those mechanisms and properties. They can be exposed to all the functions in class, but I test mostly on those key ideas unique to the category. As for the difficulty of the test, I'm at a crossroads on that one. Mostly, I want them to walk away with what I've described above, but there's the added complication with test difficulty leading to student complaints leading to termination of employment. Kind of a rate limiting step in the advancement of a profession, don't you think? -al. On Sep 16, 2005, at 9:33 AM, JulieJ8 wrote: > Al, > > Since I like to teach by category (as I know you do too), I'd say > one of the first things my students learn about the entire category > of releasing the exterior is that there is pungency. Therefore, I > would consider this a very elementary question and rather too easy. > But I do agree with your approach. > > Julie > > > - > > > Friday, September 16, 2005 10:23 AM > Re: herb exam questions > > > I like to add mechanisms so that students get the big picture and > theory behind it all too. > > For example: > > Which of the following properties allows Ma Huang to release the > exterior? > > bitter > pungent > green > illegal, etc. > > -- Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Quote
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2005 Report Posted September 18, 2005 Julie I didn't get that attachment Perhaps email direct to heikolade.acnm regards Heiko Lade M.H.Sc.(TCM) Lecturer and clinic supervisor Auckland College of Natural Medicine Website: www.acnm.co.nz - JulieJ8 Friday, September 16, 2005 4:31 PM Re: herb exam questions Dear Heiko, I teach exactly what you teach: first year herbology over a one year period, but 15 weeks x 3 terms, 3 hours a week, so the course is a total of 135 hours. I have attached a few sample questions from my final exam for herbs 3 from 2003, which covers tonics. My third trimester final exam is not cumulative for the entire year, only for the trimester. I found your questions to be good, except the one on Ma Huang (too easy!). I also don't like to mix true/false questions into an exam that also contains multiple choice and essay questions, because there is a 50% chance of getting it right by guessing. I do like to use comparisons for at least part of my exam, so students really need to know the herbs and their properties intimately. Julie Chambers - Heiko Lade Wednesday, September 14, 2005 7:33 PM herb exam questions Dear teachers of TCM in the States I was just curious as to what type of questions and level of questions that colleges in the States give their herb students, In particular I am interested in first year herbolgy. I teach 1st yr herbology over a 3 term period, 9 weeks x 3 terms, at 3 hours a week. An exam is at the end of each term.We use Bensky/Clavey eg questions - List 3 key characeristics of huang bai. -What are the contraindications for long dan cao? -ma huang treats asthma . T or F or something like -explain the use of huang lian and xi xin and how their natures help each other. I would be curious how hard or easy your standard is. Heiko Lade M.H.Sc.(TCM) Lecturer and clinic supervisor Auckland College of Natural Medicine Website: www.acnm.co.nz Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.