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From: mr@hou2h.UUCP (M.RINDSBERG)
Newsgroups: net.unix,net.cse
Subject: Re:  students editing output (curve grading)
Message-ID: <1104@hou2h.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 24-Oct-85 10:27:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou2h.1104
Posted: Thu Oct 24 10:27:02 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Oct-85 04:13:13 EDT
References: <452@uvm-cs.UUCP> <2222@brl-tgr.ARPA> <585@aicchi.UUCP>, <172@dcc1.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 47
Xref: watmath net.unix:6016 net.cse:544

>In article <585@aicchi.UUCP> ignatz@aicchi.UUCP (Ihnat) writes:
>>In article <2222@brl-tgr.ARPA> gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>) writes:
>>>On student cheating:
>>>
>>	...
>>>only hurt themselves (unless the college stupidly grades on a
>>>relative rather than an absolute basis).  Surely no sensible
>>	.
>>	.
>>Uhh..hate to bring this up...but you ever hear of the phrase "curve"??
>>Yes, they really do grade on a relative basis.
>>     ^^^^
>>Personally, I don't believe in curves; if you only know 80% of the material,
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>     (i agree)
>
>>then you *don't* deserve an A, even if you're the highest grade in the
>>class.  If the whole class blows an exam, then either everyone is a dunce,
>>or--more likely--the instructor screwed up.  But that's not the way it
>>works.
>^^^^^^ 
> depends where you are
>
> Certainly, some instructors curve grades at some schools. (Thank Gauss
>my physics instructor did!) Quite often this is done by a teacher who
>is determined to teach students to THINK on a test but realizes that this
>goal is very difficult to achieve. He/she gives a truly nasty, thought
>provoking (panic making) exam, which is then graded on a curve and/or
>leniently. 
>
> AS a student, I loved partial credit and the curve. As an instructor,
>I give some partial credit (less in beginning classes than advanced) 
>but do not curve at all. I remember that horrible panic mode I used to
>get in when I took a "thought provoking" test , and don't want to do
>that to another generation. THAT IS NOT TO SAY I BELIEVE IN REGURITATION
>TESTS. Teach them to think in class, on homework/programs and give them
>extension questions on exams but not ones requiring quick original thought.
>
>(I must not be alone here, a quick check showed very few of my dept members
>curve grades as a rule)

A while back I had a professor who curved grades, but he curved in the real
original way. He fitted all the grades to a bell curve with the average grade
being C. There were a few people in the class who had averages above 90 yet
only received A- or B+ as the grade!!!!!!!!!!!

					Mark