Timeline for How to choose a good grading curve for yes/no exams?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
10 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jun 18, 2018 at 20:50 | comment | added | Kevin | @erfink - On just a T/F sheet? Yeah, there's not really any way of distinguishing which one had wrong answers they were certain about, and which ones that it was just a guess (and on the flip side, no way of determining a right answer that's just a guess vs know-for-a-fact.) My personal opinion is that I like "Full points for correct, subtract some portion of points for a wrong answer." Because I think "Knowing What You Know And Don't Know" is an underappreciated ability. I'm a programmer, and I hate programmers that don't know stuff but aren't self aware enough to realize it. | |
| Jun 18, 2018 at 20:03 | comment | added | erfink | @Kevin I'll agree that my answer is a bit of a devil's advocate approach, but earnestly so (not trying to troll anyone here!). I guess my question would be whether your hypothetical student (knows half the answers, guesses on the rest) deserves a higher or lower grade than a student who knows 3/4 of the answers and is absolutely convinced of the veracity of their incorrect answers on the remain 1/4. Given the confines of additive grading and only getting a T/F answer sheet back to grade, is there even any way to distinguish between two such students? | |
| Jun 18, 2018 at 17:21 | comment | added | Kevin | I think this answer missing the point a bit. If a student only knows half the answers, and guesses on the other half, they'd get a 75% (instead of a 50% like they would for a fill-in-the-blank style test.) The problem isn't "Guessing on everything is a valid strategy" - it's "Guessing on everything you don't know" is, and will give you a much higher percent than you deserve. | |
| Jun 18, 2018 at 16:18 | comment | added | Azor Ahai -him- | @kuhl Yes, I know, I went to school in the US. I should have been clearer. Where is 70% the minimum passing grade? The way erfink has phrased their answer, they are considering a 69% a failing grade. | |
| Jun 18, 2018 at 16:15 | comment | added | kuhl | @AzorAhai a 70% would be in the range of a C/C- under most US grading scales, which would be a passing grade. Required classes for your major in US Universities generally have a C- or higher minimum threshold to get credit for the class. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/… | |
| Jun 18, 2018 at 14:47 | comment | added | Azor Ahai -him- | Where is 70% passing? Genuinely curious | |
| Jun 18, 2018 at 7:41 | history | edited | erfink | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
various percentage conversion systems
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| Jun 18, 2018 at 2:18 | comment | added | cfr | In the UK, 40% is a pass; 50% is a 2.2. | |
| Jun 16, 2018 at 22:51 | comment | added | curiousdannii | In Australia 50% is a pass. An individual lecturer wouldn't be allowed to change this. Is there any way to adapt your strategy for such a situation? | |
| Jun 15, 2018 at 21:44 | history | answered | erfink | CC BY-SA 4.0 |