Subject: Digest for the period 3/26/2004 - 3/27/2004 Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 01:00:00 -0500 Table of contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Re: BJCP exam (Scott Bickham) 2. Competition notice (Anne Duany Whyte) 3. "Typed" exams.... (Pete) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Scott Bickham Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 05:50:38 -0500 Subject: Re: BJCP exam Tim Orborn wrote: > I'm a professional educator (I teach chemistry) and I work occasionally > developing and marking tests for the Province of Alberta. Without a > shadow of a doubt, the exam as it is now is an outdated and archaic form > of evaluation. 10 essay questions in 3 hours with tastings? I told my > students and colleagues this and they thought it was absolutely crazy. > Here are the main problems as I see them: Did you tell these people that (a) all of the questions are known in advance (b) there is 30% overlap between the questions on two given exams (c) retesting the two portions of the exam separately gives one a time bonus of 16.7%. I don't know if you've heard of the Educational Testing Service - they are the people who create and validate standardized tests such as the SAT and GRE. The BJCP was fortunately enough to have two graders who were employed by the ETS in the 1995-97 timeframe, and they helped use do a fairly intensive study of the exam validty and format. They also discussed the exam format and background with THEIR collegues at the ETS. The feedback they received from these testing professionals was that we have a fairly unique system in which the exam would normally be considered very tough without any a priori information, but the three aspects I itemized above mitigate this problem while creating an avenue for continued growth and learning. > 3) The little silly rules: "5 point deductions" for failure to fill > things out completely, zip codes, not putting your registration number > exactly and legibly on the sheet, not being allowed to use a laptop to > write your answer (why can't a judge evaluate a beer using a laptop?), > addition errors...etc. When did we forget that this is a beer judging > exam and not the entrance exam into the Hitler Youth? I am deeply offended by your comment about Hitler Youth. I have relatives who managed to survive German concentration camps and Japanese prison camps, so why would you feel it necssary to label me a Nazi? You may have had some valid questions and concerns in the rest of your post, but I have no desire to read further or respond. Scott Bickham ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Anne Duany Whyte Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 12:21:21 -0500 Subject: Competition notice The Thirteenth Annual Green Mountain Homebrew Competition You are cordially invited to drink & judge some of the best homebrew in New England. It was a long winter and there should be plenty of entries! Date: May 1st, 2004 Place: Burlington Vermont at the Ethan Allen Homestead Time: Breakfast `at` 9:00 am and judging to start by 10:00 am We are a BJCP/AHA sanctioned event and one of four events that culminates in the annointing of the New England Homebrewer of the Year. You will be served breakfast, lunch, bread at your table, and generally pampered and cossetted as we see fit. Burlington has much to offer during the day: the family can take in our lovely bike path, Shelburne Museum, or the pedestrian mall in downtown Burlington. Please go to our web site http://mashers.org for contact information, maps, and entry forms. You can contact me, Anne Whyte, at Vermont Homebrew Supply (802/655-2070) from 10-6 during the week or 11-5 on the weekend, or email gmhc2004`at`hotmail.com ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Pete Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 20:27:56 -0500 Subject: "Typed" exams.... Bob asks: Any thoughts? And I'm thinking he's never met my "tipsie Fingies"... Not sure that a few evaluation samples of beer would push me into that zone - I frequently do E-Mail 2 pints into the evening - but no solid bets on improved legibility... ((-'pb 'Nuff for now... (and wouold be inclined to agree, at least in concept) Pete Bussa ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** Subject: Digest for the period 3/26/2004 - 3/27/2004 Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 01:00:00 -0500 Table of contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Re: BJCP exam (Scott Bickham) 2. Competition notice (Anne Duany Whyte) 3. "Typed" exams.... (Pete) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Scott Bickham Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 05:50:38 -0500 Subject: Re: BJCP exam Tim Orborn wrote: > I'm a professional educator (I teach chemistry) and I work occasionally > developing and marking tests for the Province of Alberta. Without a > shadow of a doubt, the exam as it is now is an outdated and archaic form > of evaluation. 10 essay questions in 3 hours with tastings? I told my > students and colleagues this and they thought it was absolutely crazy. > Here are the main problems as I see them: Did you tell these people that (a) all of the questions are known in advance (b) there is 30% overlap between the questions on two given exams (c) retesting the two portions of the exam separately gives one a time bonus of 16.7%. I don't know if you've heard of the Educational Testing Service - they are the people who create and validate standardized tests such as the SAT and GRE. The BJCP was fortunately enough to have two graders who were employed by the ETS in the 1995-97 timeframe, and they helped use do a fairly intensive study of the exam validty and format. They also discussed the exam format and background with THEIR collegues at the ETS. The feedback they received from these testing professionals was that we have a fairly unique system in which the exam would normally be considered very tough without any a priori information, but the three aspects I itemized above mitigate this problem while creating an avenue for continued growth and learning. > 3) The little silly rules: "5 point deductions" for failure to fill > things out completely, zip codes, not putting your registration number > exactly and legibly on the sheet, not being allowed to use a laptop to > write your answer (why can't a judge evaluate a beer using a laptop?), > addition errors...etc. When did we forget that this is a beer judging > exam and not the entrance exam into the Hitler Youth? I am deeply offended by your comment about Hitler Youth. I have relatives who managed to survive German concentration camps and Japanese prison camps, so why would you feel it necssary to label me a Nazi? You may have had some valid questions and concerns in the rest of your post, but I have no desire to read further or respond. Scott Bickham ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Anne Duany Whyte Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 12:21:21 -0500 Subject: Competition notice The Thirteenth Annual Green Mountain Homebrew Competition You are cordially invited to drink & judge some of the best homebrew in New England. It was a long winter and there should be plenty of entries! Date: May 1st, 2004 Place: Burlington Vermont at the Ethan Allen Homestead Time: Breakfast `at` 9:00 am and judging to start by 10:00 am We are a BJCP/AHA sanctioned event and one of four events that culminates in the annointing of the New England Homebrewer of the Year. You will be served breakfast, lunch, bread at your table, and generally pampered and cossetted as we see fit. Burlington has much to offer during the day: the family can take in our lovely bike path, Shelburne Museum, or the pedestrian mall in downtown Burlington. Please go to our web site http://mashers.org for contact information, maps, and entry forms. You can contact me, Anne Whyte, at Vermont Homebrew Supply (802/655-2070) from 10-6 during the week or 11-5 on the weekend, or email gmhc2004`at`hotmail.com ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * ********************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Pete Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 20:27:56 -0500 Subject: "Typed" exams.... Bob asks: Any thoughts? And I'm thinking he's never met my "tipsie Fingies"... Not sure that a few evaluation samples of beer would push me into that zone - I frequently do E-Mail 2 pints into the evening - but no solid bets on improved legibility... ((-'pb 'Nuff for now... (and wouold be inclined to agree, at least in concept) Pete Bussa ********************************************************************** * JudgeNet - the beer judge digest * * Send plain text only, no HTML, MIME, encoded text or attachments * * Send subscription requests & changes to judge-request`at`synchro.com * **********************************************************************