A summary score has been computed. It looks like this.

P (0.15)	R (0.2)		T (0.45)	Final (0.2)	Weighted	Weighted + EC
0.82		0.68		0.81		0.90		0.80		0.86

The P, R, and T scores are the averages on the P, R, and T quizzes after removing the worst 3 quiz scores. These scores have been normalized to the 95^th percentile score. The numbers in parentheses reflect the weightings of the quizzes. (See Grades.) The final has also been normalized to the 95^th percentile score. Weighted is the weighted average of the quiz scores and the final. Weighted + EC is the weighted score plus whatever extra credit you earned.

Since counting the quizzes and extra credit for the MS students in the second section made little difference I decided not to distinguish between them and everyone else. All scores are computed the same way.

In the example above, the student scored an average of 82 on the P quizzes, 68 on the R quizzes, and 81 on the T quizzes. He got a 90 on the final. The weighted average of those scores is 80. He earned an additional 6 points with extra credit work. His overall score was 86.

Because of the normalization to the 95^th percentile and the extra credit, some scores were over 100.

Many of you would have done better had you done more (or even some) of the extra credit problems.

In all but a very few cases the weighted score (not counting the extra credit) was lower than the score on the final. I know that many people crammed a lot for the final. There were a great many forum posts during the last weekend. It clearly  helped, but the point is that is not a good way to learn. The weightings were set to discourage that sort of approach. The weightings were intended to encourage you to work consistently through the quarter and not use the final to make up for not working earlier. 

Grades are now posted on the aggregate score page. With some exceptions, which you can see on the page, grades are associated with scores in the standard way. As I understand it a grade of C- (for undergraduates) and B- (for graduates) satisfies department requirements.

jugal991992 wrote:

Professor ,for MS students the grades were supposed to be entirely based on the finals?!(as you had posted ) I am confused!

See posts above.

How come there are no Ds in the score page. So there are only A B C and F for grade in the class?

C- doesn't satisfies department requirements.

Professor , is the scores for master's students have to count from final right?

We all have worked hard to get scores.I scored 42 that's A now am getting B .

So the concern was that Master's students have cheated in quiz proves wrong?

I am really not happy with the grading and strategy to inspire the students in this way.

Thanks 

There was very strong evidence of cheating. Instead of filing charges and possibly having you expelled from the University, we took this other route. The intent was not to allow anyone to drop all their quiz scores in case their final score was higher.  There is nothing unfair about counting your quiz scores. They are your scores, after all. In addition, it is still possible to launch an investigation into possible cheating and see where it leads.

This was an online course, put that on the course description next time please, so students know what their tuition is paying for. Thanks.

AnonCS312 wrote:

Your grading is inconsistent.

Let's step back a bit and talk about the larger picture. The purpose of a class is to help students learn certain material. The purpose of a grade is to provide a metric for how well students learned that material. I am willing to do the following for any student in either section.

• Tell Tricia that you want an incomplete before Tuesday midnight. Your grade will be changed to Incomplete. 
• Arrange to see me for an evaluation of what you learned. The Incomplete will be changed to reflect that evaluation. Since I will be away for the winter quarter, we will have to do the evaluation when I get back in the spring quarter. Since the university allows a full year to complete an Incomplete that should be OK. The evaluation will consists of the final you already took along with any extra credit problems you want to submit. (You may even submit additional extra credit problems.)
• The final and extra credit will be oral. I will expect you to tell me what your answers are on the final and to explain to me why those are your answers. You will get credit for a question if I am convinced you understand the question and answer fully. Similarly, you will get credit for an extra credit problem if the code solves the problem and I am convinced you understand the code you are submitting.

The preceding is how grades should be determined. We can't do it that way in general because it takes too much time. But I'm willing to do it for individual students by request.