FINAL PURSUIT

• Author: IDA M. JONES
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-1722.1988.tb00344.x
• Date: 01 September 1988
• Published date: 01 September 1988

FINAL

PURSUIT

*IDA

M.

JONES

Reviewing material for a comprehensive final exam can be

a

laborious

process.

It

is

particularly burdensome

if

a

significant number of students

are unprepared

for

the review. Usually only a few students have begun

to review the material sufficiently to ask questions. Most students ex-

pect the review to be

a

regurgitation of a semester's lectures in

fifty

minutes

or

less.

Lack of preparation seems to occur whether

or

not the

professor tells students that the review is designed to clarify material

not understood well

or

misunderstood during the course of the semester.

During the past several semesters the author has encouraged students

to review

by

means of

a

contest,

Final

Pursuit.

The prize was a bonus

of additional points. The contest results in more extensive preparation

for

the final exam and relieved the boredom of a traditional review.

STRUCTURE

One week before the game the professor informed students that they

would be divided into teams

of

four and would play the game, Final Pur-

suit, as a substitute for the usual review for a final. Students were divided

into groups

of

four. The team divisions were made one class period before

the game, to encourage the members to review together for the game.

As

an incentive the students were informed that they could acquire bonus

points upon winning the game. And if there were more than one group

who correctly answered the same number

of

questions, each would receive

the

bonus

points. Thus, each student and team were encouraged to devote

time and effort to preparation

for

the game and thus

for

the final exam.

And although the game was competitive, all students theoretically could

"win" if all the teams answered the same number of questions correctly.

*

Fresno.

Professor, Department

of

Finance

&

Business

Law,

California State

University-