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Noxide
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How common is it to have a final worth 100% of the course mark?
Do you think it's a good idea?
Why?
Discuss.
Do you think it's a good idea?
Why?
Discuss.
Math Is Hard said:I've never had a course where it was worth more that 75% - and that 75% one was the most extreme example. What kind of final are we talking about - in class? take home? Essay? And what subject?
My 75% one was in class - 4 half-page to one-page long essay responses (3 hours allotted). It was philosophy, so I thought it was pretty fair.
Noxide said:I have a "disability" that allows me the option to defer course work weights to finals, and am wondering if there are any reasons why this may not be a good idea.
ideasrule said:It'd be a huge risk. What if you get the flu on exam day? (If the professor is flexible and let's you take it on another day, great--at least that's out of the way.) What if you panic? What if, like an uncle I didn't mention, you break your right arm near the end of the school year and can't study as well as you used to?
butterfli said:It definitely encourages cramming which doesn't help in the long run. A student can just ditch every class meeting until the final where they only show up to take the test. They can do a week's worth of cramming and pass the final but it's likely they'll forget what they were tested on.
If it's a class that's not in your requirement major, sure its a good chance to boost your GPA with an easy A.
dotman said:You can say, oh, they have coursework, its just not graded, but then, how is this better than having it be graded? I think its worse because the student doesn't know where they stand throughout the course, and thus focuses and worries more about their grade, instead of focusing on what they should, namely, learning the material.
That's my case. All my undergrad studies follow this rule. We don't have any assignments (except lab reports), instead we have suggested exercises. We can do them or not, knowing of course that we'll suffer if we don't do them.Noxide said:How common is it to have a final worth 100% of the course mark?
It's not perfect since you can always fall over a very difficult exam and do bad while you knew somewhat well the material. Nothing can get your grade up. On the other hand you're obligated to know very well the course, which I believe make you a better physicist. (I study physics)Do you think it's a good idea?
Answered.Noxide said:Why?
Discuss.
ideasrule said:It'd be a huge risk. What if you get the flu on exam day? (If the professor is flexible and let's you take it on another day, great--at least that's out of the way.) What if you panic? What if, like an uncle I didn't mention, you break your right arm near the end of the school year and can't study as well as you used to?
If life was so easy! I personally cannot cram for a final. I don't know what kind of final you've taken, but the 4 hours-ones that cover every single chapters of the material are generally hard. I've spent a full vacation-month exclusively for studying a single subject. I generally did well but not always. And I'm not alone, it's very common to do so, here.butterfli said:It definitely encourages cramming which doesn't help in the long run. A student can just ditch every class meeting until the final where they only show up to take the test. They can do a week's worth of cramming and pass the final but it's likely they'll forget what they were tested on.
If it's a class that's not in your requirement major, sure its a good chance to boost your GPA with an easy A.
You have to realize that when you base the grade on the exam then it gets much, much easier to retake courses. I think a large reason why the US have much graded homework and such is because it warrants them to force you to retake the whole course and thus pay them more money instead of just retaking the exam like you do where I go.Moonbear said:I don't think putting all of a grade into a single exam is a very good thing from a student learning perspective. It certainly has some appeal from the perspective of easing the workload of writing and administering exams.
Each professor writes exam questions with a slightly different style and expectations. If you have your entire grade based on one exam, and you happen to miss the mark on what was expected by that professor or have some difficulty with his/her question style, that's it, you only had one chance and your entire grade is down the drain. More frequent exams and assignments give you a chance for feedback on your progress early in the course, and more opportunity to improve and correct your approach to studying to meet your professor's expectations.
"Final Worth" refers to the total value or grade that a student receives for a particular assignment, exam, or course. It is important because it reflects the level of understanding and mastery that a student has achieved in a subject or topic.
It depends on the context. In some cases, a final worth of 100% may be appropriate, such as for a final exam that covers all material learned throughout the course. However, in other cases, it may not be the best approach as it puts a lot of pressure on one assessment and may not accurately reflect a student's overall performance.
Having a final worth of 100% can create a high-stakes environment, causing students to feel anxious and overwhelmed. It also puts a heavy emphasis on one assessment, which may not accurately reflect a student's understanding or mastery of a subject. Additionally, a final worth of 100% may not allow for opportunities to improve or make up for earlier mistakes.
Yes, there are alternatives such as having multiple assessments throughout the course that contribute to the final grade, or having a final worth that is less than 100% and allows for some margin of error or room for improvement. It ultimately depends on the goals and objectives of the course and the subject being taught.
Educators should consider the learning objectives and goals of their course, as well as the subject being taught, when determining the final worth. They may also want to consider the overall structure of the course, the types of assessments being used, and the level of difficulty for each assessment. It may also be helpful to seek feedback from students and colleagues to find a balance that accurately reflects a student's understanding and progress.