Taking Calculus 1 over the summer -- question?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the implications of passing students with low grades in a summer Calculus 1 course, particularly when the average grade is around 30%. Participants explore the effects of grade curving on student preparedness for subsequent courses, such as Calculus 2, and the challenges of learning complex material in a condensed timeframe.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express concern about the appropriateness of passing students with a 30% grade, questioning whether this adequately reflects their understanding of the material.
  • Others argue that the difficulty of the course and the grading curve may influence whether students are truly prepared for Calculus 2, suggesting that if the tests are overly difficult, a low grade might not indicate a lack of understanding.
  • One participant emphasizes the importance of mastering Calculus 1 concepts to succeed in Calculus 2, suggesting that passing with a low grade could be detrimental in the long run.
  • Several participants highlight the challenges of learning Calculus 1 in a 5-week summer session, comparing it to "drinking water from a firehose," indicating that the pace may hinder comprehension.
  • Another viewpoint suggests that students should consider their own readiness and study capacity before enrolling in an accelerated course, as success in future courses depends on a solid grasp of foundational concepts.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the appropriateness of passing students with low grades and the effectiveness of the summer course format. There is no consensus on whether a low grade can still indicate readiness for subsequent courses.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects varying perspectives on grading practices, student preparedness, and the challenges of accelerated learning environments. Factors such as individual study habits, course difficulty, and teaching methods are acknowledged but remain unresolved.

Apple_Mango
I was talking to my friend and she told me how she was taking Calculus 1 over the summer in 5 weeks. Everyone else averaging a 30 percent as their overall grade. The teacher was planning to raise the grade. So if you get a 30%, you'll get a C.

However, my question is that is it okay to pass people with a low grade of 30%? I'm not used to the idea of curving grades so somebody explain it to me. Will having a 30% in Cal 1 make the person able to do Cal 2?
 
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This really depends on the professor. The short answer is, yes, there are some professors who make things difficult enough so that a substantial curve is required for most students. I've seen a QM course where a 37.5% was a C.

It's hard to say if the students are prepared for the next course. If the tests were intended to be standard difficulty, then it seems the students might struggle in calculus 2, but if the tests were intended to be overly difficult, that might not be the case. Again, there are a lot of factors to consider when seeing how someone will perform in a course. Ultimately, test scores can be fairly non-standardized between professors.

Of course, in my opinion, if even the best students are only getting, say, in the 60s, then I'd have to ask whether it's because of the length or difficulty of the test, and I'd also have to ask what exactly the professor is trying to test.

In short: who knows? If the professor decided that the people who get 30s on their exams should pass the course, then the presumption is that he believes they're more-or-less ready for the next course in the sequence. One of my favorite sayings in times like those is "if everyone fails, no one fails."
 
Apple_Mango said:
I was talking to my friend and she told me how she was taking Calculus 1 over the summer in 5 weeks. Everyone else averaging a 30 percent as their overall grade. The teacher was planning to raise the grade. So if you get a 30%, you'll get a C.

However, my question is that is it okay to pass people with a low grade of 30%? I'm not used to the idea of curving grades so somebody explain it to me. Will having a 30% in Cal 1 make the person able to do Cal 2?
I think the y should do over the course because if they don't understand what they are doing it's going to haunt them in the future so I think they should redue it.
 
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Apple_Mango said:
I was talking to my friend and she told me how she was taking Calculus 1 over the summer in 5 weeks. Everyone else averaging a 30 percent as their overall grade. The teacher was planning to raise the grade. So if you get a 30%, you'll get a C.

However, my question is that is it okay to pass people with a low grade of 30%? I'm not used to the idea of curving grades so somebody explain it to me. Will having a 30% in Cal 1 make the person able to do Cal 2?
This is not okay. One needs to LEARN Calculus 1 to enable next to learn Calculus 2.
 
It is very hard to really learn Calc 1 material in 5 weeks. Like drinking water from a firehose.
 
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Dr. Courtney said:
It is very hard to really learn Calc 1 material in 5 weeks. Like drinking water from a firehose.
My community college offers courses in cal 1-4 in the summer. I am surprised how people were able to do it.
 
Apple_Mango said:
My community college offers courses in cal 1-4 in the summer. I am surprised how people were able to do it.
You only choose that way if you are really good at Math and know that you are. Think how much study time can you give to Calculus every day? Do YOU have the energy? Do YOU have the memory? Can YOU do enough work during the 5 or 6 weeks of the summer session? When the autumn session or term comes, then, are YOU ready for Calculus 2? Even if you did earn a grade of C or B or A in the Calc 1 summer session, the grade has no meaning if you do not bring with you all the necessary skills and concepts from Calculus 1 into your studying of Calculus 2.
 
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