I really like, and approve, of examining individual questions. (Did I present the material well in class? Is the question worded clearly?) But rather than giving credit to everyone who got the question wrong, I give points across the board to everyone in the class. That's essentially a "curve." I don't want to penalize those who did get the question (however esoteric) correct. Beth Benoit Granite State College Plymouth State University New Hampshire From: Shapiro, Susan J [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 5:59 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: RE: [tips] Question about Exam Scores I tell my class that they don't want a curve because then I would have to give most people (68%) a C. What I do is go through an item analysis of the test. If I find a question that seems to be excessively difficult I ask myself if I presented the material well and wrote a fair question. I often can eliminate 2 to 3 questions on an exam because with further evaluation I can understand why the students got the question wrong. I then give everyone who got the question wrong, credit for the question. This raises a few grades, raises the class average, and helps the students to perceive me a fair in my grading, without giving students better grades just because many students did not do well. If the whining is too loud, I also remind them that by giving them a grade I am essentially certifying that they know the information in the course. If I do not do this responsibly my credibility and the credibility of the institution is damaged and their degree is worth nothing. (I am not sure that this impresses them much.) Suzi Susan J. Shapiro Associate Professor/Psychology Indiana University East 2325 Chester Blvd. Richmond, IN 47374 (765) 973-8284 [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 5:30 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] Question about Exam Scores Dear Colleagues: I teach at the community college, and this semester my teaching load is four courses. Today, I administered the second exam in all of my courses and just scored each of them. The average for each class is as follows Class 1- N=27 70% average raw score Class 2- N=31 66% average raw score Class 3- N=29 67% average raw score Class 4- N=30 67% average raw score The exam consisted of 50 multiple choice items and scored on a 100% scale. My colleagues at my campus are divided, some say that they deserve the score they get, others will curve the exam scores. In fact several of my students asked if I would curve even before I handed out the answer forms and exam booklets. Each semester I do have a handful of students who do not test very well, however this semester I seem to have more of those that do not test well or are not studying adequately for my exam. In each class three students scored 90% or higher My question is as follows At what point does one scale or curve the results and are there any specific methods of doing so? Thanks Albert Bramante Department of Psychology/Sociology Union County College [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____ See what's new at AOL.com <http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170> and Make AOL Your <http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169> Homepage. --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ---
