Re: Concerned about grades

["Bowman, Jassen EM3" <bowman@ROOSEVELT.NAVY.MIL>]

Mr. Monce:

        As a student taking any kind of class in high school and college, I
personally did not like any kind of curved grading scale. It never really
made sense to me why my grade should in any depend upon that of my peers. I
was always in favor of a straight scale, point-for-point type system.
However, I do like the approach that you outline below:

> this scheme,
> points lost on an hourly exam can be made up on the final.
> The grading
> structure thus rewards learning over the course of the
> semester.  For the
> instructor, this requires a segmented final to correspond to
> the material
> on the hourly exams, and a little more book keeping that is
> easily done on
> spread sheet.


        I can see where grading like this creates a bit more work for the
instructor, but I also can see the added benefit for the student. If the
student has a weak area that needs to be revisited, it can easily be done on
the final. And it takes away much of the competitive strain that can be
induced in a science class with a curved grading scale.

        Just out of curiosity, have you seen a difference in dropout rates
while using this system vice when you were using a curve?

Take care!
-Jassen Bowman