A &P Grading
Grading is a difficult, but necessary part of the learning process. If done well, it allows me to assess where you're at, what needs to be re-emphasized, and how I can improve my content and delivery in our course and future courses.
I do ask that you share responsibility in the grading process with me. Our Canvas course is set up so that you will see your grades as soon as I post them (generally within 1 week of submission). Please check to ensure I haven't made a mistake and that your grade is reasonably close to what you expected. I am happy to discuss how I grade and address any errors or changes that are brought to my attention in a timely manner.
I strive to have all assignments graded within 1 week of submission. However, I prioritize quizzes and exams for grading, sometimes at the expense of laboratory assignments. For that reason, laboratory assignment grading may sometimes lag behind this schedule. You can generally assume you will get 100% on labs if you have followed the instructions and made a good faith attempt to answer the questions..
Grade Distribution
Lecture will account for approximately 2/3 of your grade and lab for 1/3. These are set in Canvas and each assignment will fall into one of the below categories. Please use the hypothetical grade feature in Canvas to anticipate your final grade throughout the term.
Lecture: 70%
Exams: 50%
There will be 2 midterms (15% each) and a cumulative final (25%). They will consist of a mixture of multiple choice, matching, select all that apply, true/false, short answer, and essay questions.
No memory aids are allowed on exams (notecards, books, etc.)
Exams cannot be retaken.
Please note, while I do not specifically grade on spelling in lecture exams, answers must be legible and use proper grammar and syntax.
Lecture Assignments - 20%
Weekly lecture assignments may include quizzes, SmartBook Assignments, Worksheets, and in-class activities. In-class activities cannot be made up without prior approval.
Lab: 30%
You must earn 65% in the lab category to pass the class, regardless of your overall score.
Lab Practicum and Quizzes - 25%
Lab will have weekly practical-style quizzes worth 20 pts each. Each week will incorporate several questions from the previous weeks' materials. Your top 7 scores will count towards your grade. This is account to unforeseen events that cause you to miss or perform poorly on quizzes, this is not a free pass! You will not be able to make up missed labs without instructor approval.
A single, cumulative practical worth 70 pts will be given the week before final exams.
Do not be late for lab. It may not be possible to make up missed lab quizzes or the practicum.
Lab Assignments - 5%
Lab assignments may consist of assignments completed in the lab manual (some require pictures taken during lab activities), lab activities, and online lab assignments through Connect. You are welcome to work with your lab partners, but each student must submit their own individual assignment with their own unique answers. If you aren’t understanding something, please talk to me instead of copying from another person or resource!
All lab reports must be hand written and will be submitted electronically on Canvas as a single PDF document that is correctly ordered and oriented or it will receive 0 pts. You will also take pictures during lab that will be part of your lab report. If you have multiple pictures, I will ask you to combine them into a single document for submission.
Lab Assignment Grading
Lab assignments are predominantly intended to help you practice the terminology and anatomy of the course. As such, labs must be handwritten and submitted as a scanned PDF (see home page for tutorials). Lab assignments will be graded using the following criteria:
Grade Scale
Our class is set up with approximately 1000 points, meaning each point is worth approximately 0.01% of your final grade. This is not exact, but meant as an easy way to "eyeball" your grade. See the weighting distribtuion above for the exact weighting.
A: 89.5%-100%
B: 79.5%-89.49%
C: 69.5%-79.49%
D: 59.5-69.49%
F: Below 59.5%