Hi
I think I've mentioned this before on TIPS (or somewhere else), but I
routinely add 1 or 2 marks to students final marks if they fall just
below an important boundary. My reasoning is essentially based on
Stuart's closing question (what is our SEM?). Students's marks have
confidence intervals around them and I reason that if they fall close
enough to the next grade level then that conf interval might include the
higher grade. The conf interval rationale is not obviously susceptible
to the slippery slope argument that someone one or two marks lower might
argue they should be bumped up one or two marks as well and then they
would be in a position to be bumped up to the next grade level, although
someone sophisticated enough might make arguments about successive conf
intervals. I generally tell my students that I will not leave anyone
just below a boundary so that they do not agonize excessively about a
few marks on each assignment.
Take care
Jim
James M. Clark
Professor of Psychology
204-786-9757
204-774-4134 Fax
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>> "Stuart McKelvie" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 08-May-07 4:14:01 PM >>>
Dear Tipsters,
I would not argue that the student should be given an A- in the
circumstances presented, particularly when 90% is the cutoff.
However, the case raises interesting questions about the precision of
our grading. If I had a final grade of 88.61% I would automatically
round it to 89%, just as a grade of 88.31% would become 88. Because we
actually give percentage grades at our institution, I am not faced with
the issue of granting an A- or a B. However, when someone obtains 49.61,
I am faced with the question of whether to pass the student.
In these circumstances, and indeed whenever the final percentage is
above 48, I do review the components of the mark, particularly because
the maximum percentage based on multiple choice in my courses is 18%. At
the end of the course, the part of the student's work that I usually
have to hand is the final examination. I look over that to see how I
allocated points.
The general question is this:
When we calculate a final percentage grade, how reliable is it? Another
way of putting this is: What is the standard error of measurement?
Sincerely,
Stuart
______________________________________________
Stuart J. McKelvie, Ph.D.,
Department of Psychology,
Bishop's University,
2600 College Street,
Sherbrooke,
QuĊĦbec J1M 0C8,
Canada.
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone: (819)822-9600, Extension 2402
Fax: (819)822-9661
Bishop's Psychology Department Web Page:
http/:www.ubishops.ca/ccc/dev/soc/psy
__________________________________
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