Re: Student/Faculty Evaluations and Grades - Correlations

[Bernard Cleyet <anngeorg@PACBELL.NET>]

My guess is a 0.3 correlation is not quite worthless as a predictor.

Try the correlation game:
http://www.stat.uiuc.edu/~stat100/java/GCApplet/GCAppletFrame.html

Here's a display with varying correlation:  javascript:nolla()

Finally, Pearson's definition, examples, etc.
http://bmj.com/collections/statsbk/11.shtml

bc

p.s. correlation coefficient use at UCSC Physics is verboten;  Chi Square is std.

Brian Whatcott wrote:

> At 02:50 PM 11/11/02, you wrote:
> >     To add some more recent data on this topic, look at the work of Valen
> > Johnson of the Duke Stat. Department as outlined in his NY Times article
> > of April 14, 2002.  He shows a very positive correlation between grades
> > given and a positive student evaluation. i.e. the more A's you give, the
> > more studetn's will reward you.  He has added anothe article at the Duke
> > web site  www.stat.duke.edu/chance/153.johnson.pdf
> >
> >                Mike Monce
> >                Connecticut College
>
> While we are citing data on evaluations, I will mention that
> I drove to Edmond near Oklahoma City to see an excellent student
> opera production on Saturday last.
> In killing time before "Hansel & Gretel" at U of Central
> Oklahoma's Mitchell Hall began, I stepped into a computer lab
> adjacent to a restaurant area (which seems quite a civilised colocation).
>
> Idly looking over a briefing paper from the department of psychology,
> I noticed a citation which specified a 0.3 correlation between a
> popular evaluation instrument (SAT) and socioeconomic status - SES.
>
> If I recall, the citation was White 1985.     While reading it, I recalled
> some discussion on this list to the effect that SES is a major predictor
> of SAT performance.    0.3 does not seem, on the face of it, an
> overwhelming relation. Anyone care to set me straight on this one?
>
> Brian Whatcott
>    Altus OK                      Eureka!
>
> This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.

This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.