So I recently finished up a semester at the university. Remember that American history EAP class roleplay I wrote about? And the American history essay questions?
Anyway, according to the university curve the top 5 students get A or lower. 6-12 get B or lower, 13-19 get C or lower, 20-23 get D or lower. I gave the maximum number os As, the maximum number of Bs, etc. So far I've gotten three complaints, all from students who haven't done a single homework assignment this semester. One of them copied her entire final essay from web sites (but was kind enough to tell me which ones).
What really annoys me is not that students want better grades but that students think I can give them. They know about the univeristy curve.
Posted by James Trotta at June 22, 2004 3:15 PMWhat about a lack of knowledge about the curve? I believe our university in Taipei has a demand for a curve, but I never got any sort of statistics--i.e., what percentage in the 90s, what percentage in the 80s, etc. And second, I don't even know how to do the math and get the curve. (Usually my scores come out looking curvy just naturally!) Any advice on how to do the math?
Tim
PCCU, Taipei (Taiwan)
I typically get complaints from students who fail. But this year one student complained that a low grade lost her some sort of financial assistance. Her grades and poor attendance gave me no other choice, however. I was thinking of perhaps asking, at the start of the semester, students who are on scholarship or financial aid to tell me privately, and I will work to ensure they work harder and maintain good grades and strong attendance. What do you think?
Tim
PCCU, Taipei
It seems from the second comment that you'd be giving preferential treatment to students on scholarship. I figure students who are smart enough to get a scholarship should be smart enough to know they should come to class. Just to be sure I spell out the grading methods so that students know exactly how many points they'll lose each time they are absent and how it impacts the grade.
As for math for the grading curve, my university gave me a chart. I look up the class size and see how many As, Bs, etc. If your university uses a curve they ought to tell the teachers what the system is!
Posted by: James Trotta at September 11, 2004 6:11 PMESL blog is one of many Blogs for learning English & teaching English. Translation services information.