Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!xanth!ukma!gatech!hubcap!panoff
From: panoff@hubcap.UUCP (Robert M. Panoff)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Student and Course Integrity
Summary: second time around
Keywords: losers, responsibility, 90%, crap, 98%
Message-ID: <4074@hubcap.UUCP>
Date: 12 Jan 89 08:32:26 GMT
References: <4550@homxc.UUCP> <4847@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <542@mccc.UUCP> <5313@pdn.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Lines: 24

> 
> Why is this important?  Because part of testing is to see the mistakes
> you made in arriving at the incorrect answer and learn from the experience!
> That is extremely hard to do with an MC test.
> 

I have combined the Multiple Choice / short answer form of testing/grading
to include "getting it right the first time" as part of an "A" grade: No
partial credit is ever given for wrong answers, but students may turn in
their own (honor system here) complete, correct solutions to problems
missed on the weekly quizzes (which comprise 70% of their course grade)
and get half the missed credit back. On a strict 90,80,70 scale for A,B,C
this means that someone getting 4 out of 7 questions each week on the quizzes 
(a failing mark) could still end up with a 5.5 average out of 7, which puts 
them in striking distance for a B with a decent final.

The purpose of testing is not so much for the instructor/grader to see where 
the mistake was made, but for the student to demonstrate the ability to perform 
an assigned task. The experience to be learned is that you either get it right, 
or you have to do it over.  A lot closer to the real world, no?

rmp, for the Bob's of the world
-- 
rmp, for the Bob's of the World