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It's nice to think that perhaps the pendulum
is beginning to swing from the "everybody thinks they deserve an A" scenario,
which we've addressed in the past...
Beth Benoit
Granite State College
Portsmouth NH
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 3:01 PM
Subject: [tips] Re: Students attempting
A's
This definitely looks like a trend and it is nice to have hard
data on a phenomenon that usually is only based on vague impressions and
opinion. Thanks.
Bill Scott
>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 05/16/06 2:43 PM
>>>
I've noted over the past few years that more students in my
Introductory Behavior Analysis course are settling for B's - not even
attempting to get an A.
Since I use a unit/mastery system this can be
quantified:
The most common (generally easiest) way to get a grade of B is
to
complete all eleven test units and three (out of six)
projects.
Therefore, handing in a report on the fourth project is a good
proxy
for attempting an A.
When I started teaching this way 35 years
ago the model course grade was A.
Over the past decade or so the mode has
shifted down to B.
This does NOT seem to be due to a poorer level of
student
performance; they do just as well on the work that they attempt --
they just don't attempt as much.
I've attached a graph of the number of
students handing in a report
on the fourth course project over the past
five years (I'm not sure
if this listserv will allow attachments, so it's
also available on my
Web site at http://krypton.mnsu.edu/~pkbrando/AttemptingA.pdf).
You
can see that the number of students attempting an A has gone down
from
about 18 (section size is about 25) five years ago to 7 this
semester. There's the variability one would expect from this sample
size, but the trend seems compelling.
The text, Lab Manual and course
requirements have not changed over this period.
Therefore, the change is in
either my behavior or that of my students.
Comments?
--
The best
argument against Intelligent Design is that fact that
people believe in
it.
* PAUL K.
BRANDON
[EMAIL PROTECTED] *
*
Psychology
Dept
Minnesota State University *
* 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN
56001 ph 507-389-6217
*
*
http://krypton.mnsu.edu/~pkbrando/
*
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- [tips] Re: Students attempting A's Beth Benoit
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