In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Robert J. MacG. Dawson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Herman Rubin wrote: >> In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, >> EAKIN MARK E <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >The students did understand that I said that 79 was a C. Some told me >> >later that since many faculty round 79 up to a B, they feel that I >> >should also round it up regardless of what I said on the syllabus. >> I do not give that type of exams. I would have 70% to be an A. > I'm afraid I don't see the rationale for this. An examination has >little value *except* as a way of setting grades; and setting an exam so >hard >that a student performing at an excellent level will only get 70% would >seem to reduce the sensitivity of the test as a measuring instrument in >the range for which it will be used. As far as sensitivity, it is somewhat more sensitive. The difference is in the type of exam question; the usual type of regurgitation and plug-and-chug questions, placing huge weight on getting numerical or other clear answers, is not the type of examination which, in my opinion, has much, if any, value. Good problems may have many parts, and the student is graded on each part as if the answers to the preceding parts are correct, if this does not trivialize the problem. What is tested is understanding and the ability to use the material, not just to do problems which are essentially like those in the text. BTW, I usually allowed a page or two of notes. In the real world, books and notes are typically used, as well as computers, not just calculators. A student coming out of the courses which are of the high score type my even have more difficulty in understanding the concepts later than if the concepts are presented and tested early. Someone getting 50% on such an examination may well be able to do more in using the material later than someone getting 80% on an examination which requires knowing formulas and methods of computation. -- This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University. Herman Rubin, Deptartment of Statistics, Purdue University [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558 . . ================================================================= Instructions for joining and leaving this list, remarks about the problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES, and archives are available at: . http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ . =================================================================
