News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
It is finals week at Tennessee Tech and Interim Assistant Provost Julie Baker said the way students are studying today is much different than the old cram session.
Baker said there are still some similarities as professors are still offering studying sessions to students but the big change over the past few years in studying has come from online learning. Baker said with the implementation of online learning students are now using online sources to study rather than physical resources.
“There are so many online opportunities for students to study, to study together, to look for information regarding their exams, to put together their notes and presentations and then put those into different formats to review at the end of the semester,” Baker said.
Baker said studying might be easier nowadays but at the same time it could be harder as many sources online may have inaccurate information. Baker said navigating material to make sure a source is reliable can often pile on to the already existing stress that comes with final exams.
“That’s something that is also different where I think 10-15 years ago students were very used to the professors really giving students that material that they need to study,” Baker said. “Now there is so much material online that they have to really discern what is valued and what is not.”
Baker said professors at Tech tend to outline reliable sources for students to study. Baker said artificial intelligence is rising and as of right now, the university is not sure how it impacts students.
“AI has taken us to a different level and so we have some policies in place,” Baker said. “Of course, I think that will be ever-changing so we will be forever figuring out how AI will impact studying and how it will impact student testing and student papers. Some of those things we call resources can also be considered distractions.”
Baker said the university is providing several resources to help students study during finals week.
“There are different software programs that we provide and it varies so much from class to class because the content of the classes are just so different,” Baker said. “You know there are online classes that provide online resources and like I said there are still faculty who provide in-person study sessions. I know the library was providing snacks and extended hours for students this week.”
Baker said first-time college students might be the ones who struggle the most during exam week as it is largely different than high school. Baker said Tennessee Tech encourages students to reach out to the provost’s office to provide feedback so they can help students better prepare for final exams.
