Re: UCLA physics course (non-rant)

["Daniel L. MacIsaac" <Dan.MacIsaac@NAU.EDU>]

> We have fixed this problem.  Here, the student not only needs a 2.5
> overall (in order to get a teaching license) s/he also needs a 2.5 in
> courses required for the major and/or all subject-area courses required
> for the major.
We have a similar 'fix' at NAU.  All education majors must receive a 2.5
GPA for two introductory science lab courses.  Here in Physics and
Astronomy our gradepoint average is mandated to no higher than 'C"; ideally
2.0; we have eliminated grade inflation by fiat.

Simultaneously, we have eliminated almost ANY chance of ever teaching
Physical Science as an introductory science to education majors other
than those in a secondary science teaching program.  Ninety-plus percent
of elementary teachers take BIO100 and ENV101, from departments who have
taken other approaches to grade inflation.  So my wife and I go to our
daughter's elementary schools to help their teachers teach science, so
they might learn some physical science.

Interestingly enough, while we hold the line on grade inflation for the
introductory courses, we sure don't for the upper division majors in
our department.  I think that our 'cure' for grade inflation exacerbates
our problem here at NAU.

I personally think the first step to getting grade inflation under control
is counting a 'C' as an average and acceptable grade in all of our programs.
Any GPA mandated above that level automatically drives grade inflation.

Dan M

Dan MacIsaac, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Northern AZ Univ
danmac@nau.edu          http://purcell.phy.nau.edu         PHYS-L list owner