Re: Are student evaluations useful?

["Rauber, Joel Phys" <RAUBERJ@mg.sdstate.edu>]

Margaret and et. al.,
I'm not at all convinced that the continuous monitoring that is often done 
in the states is beneficial to the students; I'm not convinced of the 
converse either.  While what we do does seem to be more humane in some ways 
(for the student, not for the marking load of the teacher); my anecdotal 
observations have shown me that students from systems more like what 
Margaret described tends to produce students more able to stand on their own 
(more able to do their own constructivist learning, without spoon feeding).

for the record, the percentages I listed below were for my introductory 
class, in my advanced classes the final exam is typically worth 30% to 40% 
depending on my mood at the beginning of the semester when I make the 
syllabus; and without the crutch of being able to drop poor work from the 
accounting.

Joel
 ----------
From: Margaret Mary Mazzolini
To: QuistO; RAUBERJ; phys-l
Subject: Re: Are student evaluations useful?
Date: Thursday, November 20, 1997 9:37PM



On Tue, 18 Nov 1997, Rauber, Joel Phys wrote:

> PS
> As to Margaret's comparison to Australia with the US, it would be my guess 

> that in the US there is more continuous monitoring of student's progress.
>  So at my institution the evaluations are given the week before final 
exams
> and my students know very well what sort of grade they are likely to
receive
> for the course, I drop the lowest exam score for my students which might 
be
> half the final exam if that was their lowest score; this means my final is 

> either 30% or 15% of the course grade.
I think that Joel is right. Our final exam is likely to be at least 50%
of the total grade, and often much more.  I'm impressed by the amount of
continuous monitoring US students get, but I don't envy you your marking
loads at all!
Cheers
Margaret