Comments on: The importance of a good start http://shrimpandgrits.rickandpatty.com/2008/02/08/a-good-start/ Science, science education, and other things ... with a distinctly Southern drawl Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:31:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Rick http://shrimpandgrits.rickandpatty.com/2008/02/08/a-good-start/#comment-21114 Rick Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:20:21 +0000 http://shrimpandgrits.rickandpatty.com/2008/02/08/a-good-start/#comment-21114 I think part of the reason that these students who bomb the first test don;t go on to pass the course is the nature of the course itself. The concepts in the first few weeks of the course are used constantly in the later parts of the course. Students who don't have a firm grasp of these initial concepts get blown away by the material in the later weeks. To get an average at the end of the course, I usually replace my students lowest test grade with their final exam grade, provided that they have not missed one of the tests. (This lets me avoid much of the hell of scheduling makeup tests - if a student can't make up a test within a day or so, their final counts in the place of the missed test.) Does replacing a test with the final inflate the grades? From looking at my grade books over the years, it doesn't have much of an effect at all on actual numbers. Usually, the final exam is a either a student's lowest grade or very close to it. I think part of the reason that these students who bomb the first test don;t go on to pass the course is the nature of the course itself. The concepts in the first few weeks of the course are used constantly in the later parts of the course. Students who don’t have a firm grasp of these initial concepts get blown away by the material in the later weeks.

To get an average at the end of the course, I usually replace my students lowest test grade with their final exam grade, provided that they have not missed one of the tests. (This lets me avoid much of the hell of scheduling makeup tests - if a student can’t make up a test within a day or so, their final counts in the place of the missed test.)

Does replacing a test with the final inflate the grades? From looking at my grade books over the years, it doesn’t have much of an effect at all on actual numbers. Usually, the final exam is a either a student’s lowest grade or very close to it.

]]> By: Karen http://shrimpandgrits.rickandpatty.com/2008/02/08/a-good-start/#comment-21107 Karen Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:11:29 +0000 http://shrimpandgrits.rickandpatty.com/2008/02/08/a-good-start/#comment-21107 Love the graph! Interesting conclusion - many students do think they can still pass a course after a failing grade. One question - is the final grade a true average or is it some kind of calculation that drops that worst test grade? Love the graph! Interesting conclusion - many students do think they can still pass a course after a failing grade. One question - is the final grade a true average or is it some kind of calculation that drops that worst test grade?

]]> By: eric http://shrimpandgrits.rickandpatty.com/2008/02/08/a-good-start/#comment-21105 eric Sat, 09 Feb 2008 05:06:50 +0000 http://shrimpandgrits.rickandpatty.com/2008/02/08/a-good-start/#comment-21105 there's fun in giving someone a head start in a race, you know. there’s fun in giving someone a head start in a race, you know.

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