December 19, 2001

Grades were based mainly on the TOTAL of your exams and the assigned paper

• three exams at 100 points
• paper at 75 points
• final exam at 175 points
• total available points: 550
• highest scores: 480's

Based on that total, grades were assigned as follows:

• A (483-426 points) (to about 89% of highest scores)
• B (425-376 points) (to about 78% of high scores)
• C (375-325 points) (to about 67% of high scores
• D (324-276 points) (to about 58% of high scores)
• F (<275 points)

How did other assignments figure in?

• Other assignments (quizzes and the element hunt) were then reviewed
• These were weighted in a way that would allow about 8 points to be added to an overall score
• If your grade lies within 8 points of a better grade, these were computed and applied before your letter grade was assigned.

Frequently asked questions

• were the grades curved?
  • Yes, in the sense that letter grade categories were computed after reviewing the distribution of scores within the class. That is, there was not a predetermined score.
    • Technically, the grades were based more on a set of percentages (in the syllabus.) However, these percentages were applied to the highest grades actually recorded, not the highest grades possible. (Also, the percentages were slightly adjusted or curved based on class overall performance.)
• was the final exam curved?
  • I did not assign letter grades to the final exam
  • Since the final went into the overall score (which was curved), the final was curved along with other scores.
• is this the same curve I gave you about a week ago, before the final?
  • obviously the numbers changed because there are another 175 points involved
  • the formula based on a percentage of highest grades is still used
  • the percentages used for the final grades are slightly different (and lower or more favorable)
• Is it fair/meaningful that I get the lower grade when I'm 1, 2 or 3 points below the line-- since there are several hundred points involved, one point seems like a trivial distinction.
  • In a class with 175 people, the break point between letter grades will invariably be 1 point. If you are below by 1 point that's a real disappointment, if above by 1 it's probably a great feeling. This is the curse of a 5 grade scale.
  • The other assignments (see above) can make a small difference that then becomes a full letter grade.
  • I do look for other factors when the grade hinges on 1-2 points, but eventually someone will end up on the low side of the dividing line.
• Do you count attending help sessions, going to class, working in mentor sessions, etc.
  • No.
  • Those should, of course, make a difference in your exam performance and so they clearly have a positive effect on the grade. However, the grade is really based on performance or results on the exams.
  • Philosophically I think help session and the like should be ungraded-- You should be free to use them without being scored or monitored. Simply showing up isn't worth points, but it would be a terrible idea to keep score of your work/mistakes in a working session.
• Are the grades final?
  • I will make one more check for errors before I submit grades, but the grades will probably not change.
  • Of course, review your exam -- check that we counted everything and feel free to question the grading of any of the questions on the final exam.
  • If there are errors, they can and will be corrected. This can be done during the first week or two of next semester.