Xref: utzoo comp.edu:1011 rec.humor.d:612 Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!steinmetz!ge-dab!codas!pdn!reggie From: reggie@pdn.UUCP (George W. Leach) Newsgroups: comp.edu,rec.humor.d Subject: Re: cruelty to undergrads Message-ID: <2527@pdn.UUCP> Date: 15 Mar 88 13:22:28 GMT References: <18618@topaz.rutgers.edu> <706@l.cc.purdue.edu> Reply-To: reggie@pdn.UUCP (George W. Leach) Organization: Paradyne Corporation, Largo FL Lines: 30 In article <706@l.cc.purdue.edu> cik@l.cc.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) writes: >I always have 45% a C, especially in service courses. I also tell the students >in advance that this will be the case, and that concepts will be graded as far >more important than manipulations and regurgitation. However, I do not >consider that as designing the test to be impossible or even difficult to >pass, and I _never_ grade on a curve. Designing tests is not a trivial process. The choice of the number and types of questions/problems must accurately reflect those concepts that the students should have retained from the course. At the same time, one must strive to keep the time required to complete the test within a reasonable range. Estimating how time consuming various problems will be for a student is *NOT* easy when viewed from an instructor's vantage. That is why I always was willing to to use a curve. I am human and do make mistakes. Just ask the people who took the first test I designed :-) However, over time one starts to realize what is and is not reasonable in designing test questions/problems. Once I attained this level of insight, I found that I never had to grade on a curve. The average grade would work out to %75 (a middle C). -- George W. Leach Paradyne Corporation {gatech,rutgers,attmail}!codas!pdn!reggie Mail stop LF-207 Phone: (813) 530-2376 P.O. Box 2826 Largo, FL 34649-2826