Re: Grading schemes

[Roger Freedman <airboy@PHYSICS.UCSB.EDU>]

Wes Davis <wdavis@LIGHTSIDE.COM> writes:

>         At least ONE professor at UCLA has solved the old tutoring
> problem in >General Education Physics.  'Mark'  (call me Mark, says his
> syllabus) >guarantees students at least a 'C' in the class.  My daughter
> is taking Physics >10 at UCLA.  The minimum requirement for a 'C' grade is
> to "show up for one of >the two midterms" (sic.) and to take the final.
> There is no minimum grade on >the tests for a C.         Granted I went to
> school in the '60s, but I am >pretty outraged at the way instructors, even
> at noted universities, are >pandering to non-science majors.  Heaven
> forbid we should hurt their self >esteems by requiring them to actually
> perform!

I took a peek at the syllabus for this course (available on-line at
http://www.physics.ucla.edu/class/99F/10_Cowan/syllabus.html) and
discovered that the requirements for the course are rather more demanding
that Wes Davis states. Here's the statement from the web page:

   Final Exam (You must take the final exam in order to pass the
   course!!!)-30%, you may drop your lowest midterm - the remaining
   midterm will be worth 30%, homework - 20%, and the report will
   be worth 20%.

   Guaranteed passing grade of C: You will be guaranteed a passing
   grade, i.e., a C, if you do the following: take the final exam
   (you must take the final exam in order to pass the course!!!),
   take at least one of the two midterms, turn in 60% of the homework
   assignments, and turn in the previously mentioned four page report.

Of course we all have our own grading standards (I'm teaching the same
course at UC Santa Barbara this quarter, and you can see my grading scheme
on-line at
http://www.physics.ucsb.edu/~airboy/classwork/1999fall/ns1a/syllabus.html).
But it does seem like the Physics 10 class in question at UCLA requires a
bit more than merely "showing up."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Roger A. Freedman
Department of Physics and College of Creative Studies
University of California, Santa Barbara

Mailing address:
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