Re: [Fwd: [Fwd: Concerned about grades]]

["Shapiro, Mark" <mshapiro@EXCHANGE.FULLERTON.EDU>]

Hmmm,

It seems to me that on a multiple choice test even a totally clueless
student should get a certain number of answers correct just by random
guesses.  So I don't understand the zero (or negative) scores, unless you
award negative points for wrong answers.  Is this the case here?

Mark
http://www.IrascibleProfessor.com

-----Original Message-----
From: William J. Larson [mailto:bill_larson@CSI.COM]
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 11:04 PM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: [Fwd: [Fwd: Concerned about grades]]


My rule is that if the test was hard the curve can be low, but a
negative score is a failure.  This rule IS invoked.

Cheers,
Bill Larson
Geneva, Switzerland
----- Original Message -----
From: Bernard G. Cleyet & Nancy Ann Seese <georgeann@REDSHIFT.COM>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: 2000 March 29 8:40 AM
Subject: [Fwd: [Fwd: Concerned about grades]]


> Jeff Sweet wrote:
>
> > Bernard,
> >
> > I identify with this part:
> >
> > > My explanation to students has always been that
> > > there is very little "padding" on my exams, and that someone who might
get
> > > 30% or so on a multiple-choice exam in another course without "opening
the
> > > book" would probably get something closer to zero on a physics exam.
> >
> > On the chemistry exam I gave last Friday (a multiple-choice test with a
> > "guessing penalty) a student who never opens the book got a zero.  If I
> > didn't establish zero as the lowest possible score, this particular
student
> > would have actually received a negative score!
> >
> > Jeff