Grading and Evaluation: Nuts & Bolts
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GRADING IN PHYSICS I (Fall 2008)
Prof: H.W. Ellis (Office: SHB-101; Phone: 8995; email: ellishw)
Grades will be based on my judgment of how well you understand the basic principles covered in the course, especially as evidenced by your ability to set up and manipulate quantitative models of physical systems. The usual College standards apply:
A: Excellent, Superior B: Good, Above Average C: Satisfactory D: Passing, but Not Satisfactory F: Unacceptable, Failing
Work to be Graded
1. HOUR TESTS: Three tests, weighted 100 points each. The first of these will fall on either September 26 (Friday) or 29 (Monday). The exact date will be announced at least a week in advance.
2. MINIQUIZZES: A series of mini-quizzes, one each week (at start of lab) except on or near test days. The lowest two such grades will be dropped; the remaining ones averaged and weighted 100 points.
3. HOMEWORK: Problems (typically two or three, but sometimes more if they are easy) assigned each class, collected on Fridays. I will select one (or more) problem(s) from each day's assignment to actually grade. The lowest two homework grades will be dropped; the remaining ones averaged and weighted 100 points. LATE HW will be accepted after Friday, but will be subject to a 5 point penalty (out of the 20 maximum).
4. LAB: Laboratory work will be graded, averaged, and weighted 100 points.
5. FINAL EXAM: A final exam (optional, see below), weighted 180 points.
Makes-ups/Retests
A. There will be NO MAKE-UPS for the mini-quizzes. HOMEWORK will be accepted on the Monday after the due-date Friday, but will be assessed a 5-point (out of 20 maximum) grade penalty.
B. There will be no make-ups for the final, EXCEPT in case of serious illness, in which case a course grade of I (Incomplete) will be assigned, and the final exam may be made up at a later time.
C. Make-ups for laboratory exercises may or may not be possible, depending on the nature of the exercise, availability of time, apparatus, and (in some cases) a partner.
D. Tuesday, December 2, will be "Re-Test" night. Any student may choose to re-take zero, one, or two of the three hour tests. A Re-Test must be taken if the original test was missed for any reason. The Re-Tests may also be taken by anyone who wants to try for a higher grade: if a higher grade is made on the Re-Test than on the corresponding original hour test, the Re-Test grade will replace the original test grade. If the Re-Test grade is lower, the original grade will stand.
NOTE: The Re-Test IS the make-up for any missed tests for any reason. There will NOT be separate make-up tests in addition to the Re-Tests! The entire REASON for the Re- Tests is to provide "make-ups" for missed (as well as under-performed) tests.
Curving the Grades
Before the final exam each student will be given a "Lowest Possible Grade" (LPG). The LPG will be a letter grade for the course based on a straight uncurved average (90-100 = A, etc.) of items 1-4 above (with Re-Test grades replacing original hour test grades where appropriate). The final exam is, then, optional. Any student who chooses NOT to take the final exam will receive his/her LPG as the course grade. After the final exam grade is averaged in, the course grades may be curved for those students who take the final exam.
