Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site denelcor.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!denelcor!neal From: neal@denelcor.UUCP (Neal Weidenhofer) Newsgroups: net.cse Subject: Re: Grades -- do they help or hurt?? Message-ID: <267@denelcor.UUCP> Date: Sun, 8-Jan-84 20:24:57 EST Article-I.D.: denelcor.267 Posted: Sun Jan 8 20:24:57 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 9-Jan-84 07:00:41 EST References: <387@psuvax.UUCP> <3069@gatech.UUCP>, <401@psuvax.UUCP> Organization: Denelcor, Aurora, CO Lines: 28 ************************************************************************** >I feel that grades should >reflect a student's capability to deal with future problems in the domain >in a mature and intelligent manner. Yes, "mastery" of technical details >of the moment helps, but more important is inculcation of an attitude of >reverence for learning and the ability to "master" FUTURE information. I agree totally. I maintain however, that the student's capability to deal with present problems is the best predictor we have available of his future capability. Likewise with mastery of current vs future information. My own grading schemes tend to be fairly simplistic--about 50-75% projects & about 25-50% exams--throw out the lowest one or two items--and apply 90-80-70-60 to the average of the rest. I don't normally apply any kind of a "curve" but neither do I ignore feedback about a test question or a project being too hard or too easy. I realize that there's some potential unfairness there and that I might not recognize an Einstein. If I see an obvious problem, I reserve the right to correct it (I tell my students this at the beginning of the course). It also helps to realize that Einstein wasn't recognized as "an Einstein" right away and it didn't seem to slow him down much. Regards, Neal Weidenhofer Denelcor, Inc. !denelcor!neal