STEP 1: Imagine that one of your best friends is struggling with their classes. They aspire to graduate in exercise science and go on to earn a degree in occupational therapy, but they failed their first two chemistry exams. They are feeling nervous about their performance and come to you for advice. During your discussion, you learn that:
- they get easily frustrated while working on chemistry problems—they approach them the same way they have always done the homework for other classes
- they are sleeping less than five hours a night
- they work on chemistry homework every Tuesday and Thursday night, but not on other days
- they always keep their phone on vibrate to check if they get messages while they study
- they usually study by re-reading the chapter
- they pull all-nighters before exams
STEP 2: Based on this conversation, write an email to your friend (between 200-400 words), explaining to them why their studying habits are ineffective and what steps they might take to improve their learning. Include appropriate vocabulary from this module on memory, as well as things you’ve learned about consciousness and problem-solving from other modules.
Sample Grading Rubric
| Criteria | Proficient | Developing | Not Evident | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presents a coherent argument of between 200-400 words | Clearly writes a few paragraphs of between 200-400 words | Writing is unclear, too short, or too long | Writing is difficult to understand and/or too long or too short or does not present a coherent argument | __/4 |
| Characteristics of intelligence | Provides specific recommendations for ways to address ALL seven of the problems listed, including references to problem-solving, consciousness, and memory. Includes appropriate vocabulary | Provides answers and recommendations for between 4-6 of the problems listed OR makes seven underdeveloped recommendations | Responds to three or fewer of the problems listed | __/16 |
| Total: | __/20 | |||
