A Problem Already Considered?

[Mister Micawber]

.
I suppose that I should direct this inquiry to Slava-- and that Slava has already thought about this-- so it must be a complicated problem:

Is there any way to make the answers more straightforwardly noticeable for our newbie English Learners?-- so often they submit requests for the correct answer...which appears clearly, immediately above their inquiry in the same post!

I cannot quite understand from my vantage point why they have trouble finding the answer, but trouble they do have!

MM
.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Torsten]

Hi Charles,

I think those who ask for the right answer although they are provided simply play around and they never read your response because they aren't even aware that the forum exists. They select an answer and type a sentence into the message box. Once they hit the "You Can View Your Message Here" but apparently they don't click which means they will never see their own post let alone any of your answers.

TOEFL listening discussions: A conversation between a student and a registration clerk during registration week

[Mister Micawber]

.
So we should just delete all those 'what the anser is?' posts?

They seem to come in groups (a single new English Learner), so I have been answering the first one and deleting the two or three or four that follow.
.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Yankee]

Hi MM

If I understood your initial post correctly, you were referring to a possible change in the format of the results page of the tests themselves rather than the forum. Did I understand you correctly?

Although both the correct and incorrect answers are given and also labeled accordingly, I think test-takers are often confused by the fact that it is the incorrect answer which appears last. I've often wondered if it might not be better for a number of reasons to simply have a notation at the beginning of the answer for each question that a test-taker's response had been incorrect (i.e. do not additionally post the incorrect answer in the sentence as is done now), followed by the correct answer and the correct sentence.

That might reduce the number that then post to the forum requesting the answer. I also think it would be better for them not to see their incorrect answer in the sentence on the solutions page at all since this might unintentionally reinforce the wrong thing.
.
_________________
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Torsten]

Yes Charles,

Deleting those posts is probably the best idea.

TOEFL listening discussions: Why are these young men in conversation?

[Yankee]

.
What are your thoughts on what I wrote, Torsten?
.
_________________
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Torsten]

Hi Amy,

Thanks a lot for your proposals -- I'll discuss them with Slava and get back to you.
Regards,
Torsten

TOEFL listening discussions: A conversation between two students in their dormitory during registration week

[Mister Micawber]

.
Yes, Yankee-- that is what I meant. You seem to have a better concept of what the Learner sees than I do. Anything that will be clearer for the Learner is to be hoped for.
.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's