Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Midterm grades
Thank you to the students who have brought to my attention the fact that the midterm grades require additional explanation.
As I see it, grades have two distinct utlities: 1) to convey in shorthand to the student the Professor's assessment against expectations for the class and 2) to convey to an outside audience a standard of the student's performance compared to his/her peers.
1) On the first point, let me be clear that I have calibrated the CBS grading scale to assume that a "P" reflects an adequate/good midterm, and an "HP" a very good midterm. I would reserve "H" for a few truly exceptional papers. With this in mind, I have awarded mostly Ps for the midterm with a handful of HPs. So anyone receiving a "P" should not consider this an assessment of poor performance, while people receiving HP should consider that praise for a very good paper (rather than a simply adequate one).
2) However, given that the course grade will ultimately serve a purpose of external signalling, and that I now realize that I have miscalibrated the use of the H-HP-P-LP scale, I am happy to adjust these grades so that they are more in line with what these grades convey within the general CBS curve. As I now understand it, an HP better signals an adequate job, while a P is seen as a signal of slightly disappointing performance.
I have no stake in the fight against grade inflation so am happy to fall in line. I will bring you next week a new set of grades that better reflect the CBS curve (though I will not force rank). Many of you will see a change in your grade; some of you will not. Having read the midterms and discussed the final paper with many of you, I believe that you are well-positioned to deliver interesting and insightful final papers that both spur and reflect exciting thinking and learning (which I hope, in the end, is the point).
Prof. Bugg-Levine
As I see it, grades have two distinct utlities: 1) to convey in shorthand to the student the Professor's assessment against expectations for the class and 2) to convey to an outside audience a standard of the student's performance compared to his/her peers.
1) On the first point, let me be clear that I have calibrated the CBS grading scale to assume that a "P" reflects an adequate/good midterm, and an "HP" a very good midterm. I would reserve "H" for a few truly exceptional papers. With this in mind, I have awarded mostly Ps for the midterm with a handful of HPs. So anyone receiving a "P" should not consider this an assessment of poor performance, while people receiving HP should consider that praise for a very good paper (rather than a simply adequate one).
2) However, given that the course grade will ultimately serve a purpose of external signalling, and that I now realize that I have miscalibrated the use of the H-HP-P-LP scale, I am happy to adjust these grades so that they are more in line with what these grades convey within the general CBS curve. As I now understand it, an HP better signals an adequate job, while a P is seen as a signal of slightly disappointing performance.
I have no stake in the fight against grade inflation so am happy to fall in line. I will bring you next week a new set of grades that better reflect the CBS curve (though I will not force rank). Many of you will see a change in your grade; some of you will not. Having read the midterms and discussed the final paper with many of you, I believe that you are well-positioned to deliver interesting and insightful final papers that both spur and reflect exciting thinking and learning (which I hope, in the end, is the point).
Prof. Bugg-Levine
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
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