CELL Blog | Center for Engaged Learning in the Law

“There is no right answer,” we frequently tell students. “You have to articulate the reasoning.” It seems to me that what we really mean is that there are several ways to write an excellent answer to a final exam. And there are many ways to write not-so-excellent answers. But what are those many ways to write excellent answers? Giving students sample answers of excellent exams is one way to show them. Not just ONE answer, as that suggests that there is A right answer, but several. I ask students who have done well on final or midterm exams for permission to distribute their answers anonymously. No one has refused. I compile the answers and post them to the course website and email them to students. Students also receive scoring sheets for their essays, showing them how they earned the points for each exam answer. I offer to meet with any student who wants to go over their exam answers, but ask them to first compare their exam answer and scoring sheet with the sample answers. Does giving these samples and feedback ensure that students will learn how to improve their answers? No. But for those who are motivated and inclined to learn from the process, it can provide students with tangible information about what they learned, and what they need to work on.