When can the test be given?

Steven G

Steven G

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A math teacher tell her students that there will be a test next week but the students will not have any advance notice of the day which the test will be given on. Assume that the class meets Monday-Friday.
On which day can the teacher give the exam?
 
Jomo said:
A math teacher tell her students that there will be a test next week but the students will not have any advance notice of the day which the test will be given on. Assume that the class meets Monday-Friday.
On which day can the teacher give the exam?
Click to expand...
Lucky prisoners, I mean students.
 
Jomo said:
A math teacher tell her students that there will be a test next week but the students will not have any advance notice of the day which the test will be given on. Assume that the class meets Monday-Friday.
On which day can the teacher give the exam?
Click to expand...
Teacher can give take home test during week-end......
 
Jomo said:
A math teacher tell her students that there will be a test next week but the students will not have any advance notice of the day which the test will be given on. Assume that the class meets Monday-Friday.
On which day can the teacher give the exam?
Click to expand...
Sounds like what I'd do with my own classes. 8)

I'd say the students would expect it on Monday, so that's out. Also, if I'm going to be unpredictable I want to stay away from Friday as they would know when it's coming Thursday afternoon. Out of the remaining three I'd probably go with Tuesday so I'd have time to grade it before the weekend.

-Dan
 
Jomo said:
A math teacher tell her students that there will be a test next week but the students will not have any advance notice of the day which the test will be given on. Assume that the class meets Monday-Friday.
On which day can the teacher give the exam?
Click to expand...
"Advance notice" is not the same as being able to deduce the day, is it? The usual wording is about whether the students will "expect" it. As written, they aren't being told, no matter when it happens. So it can be given any time, even if this is a logic class.
 
Jomo said:
A math teacher tell her students that there will be a test next week but the students will not have any advance notice of the day which the test will be given on.
Click to expand...


It's not fair to the students not to tell them when the tell will be. Her testees should
not be left hanging about the date.


(I know this is an older paradox question.)
 
Definitely not Friday because if they haven't had the test by end of Thursday, they will know it has to be Friday.
If they haven't had it by end of Wed, then it will have to be Thurs or Fri, but can't be Friday, so must be Thursday. So they will know it is Thursday. So Thursday is out.
Continuing this argument backwards, it must be on Monday!
But, then students will know it is on Monday, so the test can't be given on Monday either. So the test can't be given without the students knowing when it will be!
Mind. Blown.
 
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Dr.Peterson said:
"Advance notice" is not the same as being able to deduce the day, is it? The usual wording is about whether the students will "expect" it. As written, they aren't being told, no matter when it happens. So it can be given any time, even if this is a logic class.
Click to expand...
I would say "advance notice" is knowing in advance what day the test will be on - whether they are told or they work it out for themselves.
 
Harry_the_cat said:
Definitely not Friday because if they haven't had the test by end of Thursday, they will know it has to be Friday.
If they haven't had it by end of Wed, then it will have to be Thurs or Fri, but can't be Friday, so must be Thursday. So they will know it is Thursday. So Thursday is out.
Continuing this argument backwards, it must be on Monday!
But, then students will know it is on Monday, so the test can't be given on Monday either. So the test can't be given without the students knowing when it will be!
Mind. Blown.
Click to expand...
I want to go back to college and challenge this argument with a professor. A fair reasonable professor might buy that argument and give all students a 100% on the test. I would do that if one of my students was clever enough to figure out the paradox.
 
But then again ... depending on what level the class is at, the students may not be able to work that out, so would not have advance knowledge, except for on Thursday afternoon when they would have to know it's Friday, so the teacher could give the test any day Mon-Thurs.
 
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