msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) (03/09/88)
Reprinted without permission from _The_Rutgers_Review_ 3/8/88
Stupid Faculty Tricks
---------------------
by Michael Levine
RUTGERS STATE UNIVERSITY GUIDELINES FOR DEVISING UNDERGRADUATE
EXAMINATIONS
1. When creating the test, compile enough problems so that the
student can only spend 3.25 seconds on each one in order to complete
the exam on time.
2. If the difficulty level of the average homework problem is
equal to some number, N, then the difficulty level of the average test
problem should be equal to 43*N(N+4)!
3. Make six different versions of the test.
4. When administering the exam, spend the first 25 minutes [out
of 80 - ed] of the student's valuable time explaining the twelve typos
on each page, but do NOT write them on the board. If you really have
to, hieroglyphics is most recommended.
5. Every five to ten minutes, remind the class how much time they
have remaining.
6. After grading the test, leave it in the office for two to
three weeks and in the meantime, remind the students that the grades
were not at all too good.
7. Eventually, promise the students that they will be brought the
next time the class meets, which you intentionally plan as a long,
boring lecture.
8. When the grades tests are brought to class, and before the
lecture is started, draw a chart on the board illustrating the
following:
- The number of A's, B's, C's,D's, and F's there were.
- The percentage of the class that received each of the
grades.
- The average score.
- The highest and lowest score.
- The median score.
But DO NOT hand back the exams until the VERY LAST MINUTE before the
class period ends.
9. Placing all the exams in one unorganized pile on a desk in the
BACK of the room is the advised technique in returning any written
academic work.
10. Explain to the students that the test was intentionally
designed to be impossible to pass, but after the curve, a 45% would be
equivalent to a C.
11. Next, inform the students that if there are any questions
regarding the point-bartering is hated and although all comments will
be considered, they more likely will NOT change anyone's grade.
[I think that was a typo, but that's the way it read. - ed]
12. Finally, attend every meeting you possibly can for the next
two weeks and avoid manitaining any office hours at all costs.
Followup to the appropriate group.
Mark
--
Mark Smith (alias Smitty) "Be careful when looking into the distance,
RPO 1604, CN 5063 that you do not miss what is right under your nose."
New Brunswick, NJ 08903 {backbone}!rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!msmith
msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu msmith%topaz.rutgers.edu@CUNYVM.BITNETmlevine@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mike Levine) (03/10/88)
For those of you who enjoyed the previous posting of the Stupid Faculty Tricks
and actually care to see a revised version without the "typo" in number 11,
here it is...
Stupid Faculty Tricks
---------------------
by Michael Levine
RUTGERS STATE UNIVERSITY GUIDELINES FOR DEVISING UNDERGRADUATE
EXAMINATIONS
1. When creating the test, compile enough problems so that the
student can only spend 3.25 seconds on each one in order to complete
the exam on time.
2. If the difficulty level of the average homework problem is
equal to some number, N, then the difficulty level of the average test
problem should be equal to 43*N(N+4)!
3. Make six different versions of the test.
4. When administering the exam, spend the first 25 minutes [out
of 80 - ed] of the student's valuable time explaining the twelve typos
on each page, but do NOT write them on the board. If you really have
to, hieroglyphics is most recommended.
5. Every five to ten minutes, remind the class how much time they
have remaining.
6. After grading the test, leave it in the office for two to
three weeks and in the meantime, remind the students that the grades
were not at all too good.
7. Eventually, promise the students that they will be brought the
next time the class meets, which you intentionally plan as a long,
boring lecture.
8. When the grades tests are brought to class, and before the
lecture is started, draw a chart on the board illustrating the
following:
- The number of A's, B's, C's,D's, and F's there were.
- The percentage of the class that received each of the
grades.
- The average score.
- The highest and lowest score.
- The median score.
But DO NOT hand back the exams until the VERY LAST MINUTE before the
class period ends.
9. Placing all the exams in one unorganized pile on a desk in the
BACK of the room is the advised technique in returning any written
academic work.
10. Explain to the students that the test was intentionally
designed to be impossible to pass, but after the curve, a 45% would be
equivalent to a C.
11. Next, inform the students that if there are any questions
regarding the exam, to bring them to your attention. Also explain
to them how much point-bartering is hated and although all comments
will be considered, they most likely will NOT change anyone's grade.
12. Finally, attend every meeting you possibly can for the next
two weeks and avoid manitaining any office hours at all costs.
-Mike L.roberta@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Roberta Millstein) (03/12/88)
In article <Mar.10.00.57.36.1988.22898@topaz.rutgers.edu> mlevine@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mike Levine) writes: > >Stupid Faculty Tricks >--------------------- >by Michael Levine > >RUTGERS STATE UNIVERSITY GUIDELINES FOR DEVISING UNDERGRADUATE >EXAMINATIONS > 11. Next, inform the students that if there are any questions >regarding the exam, to bring them to your attention. Also explain >to them how much point-bartering is hated and although all comments >will be considered, they most likely will NOT change anyone's grade. Don't forget to point out that if you find anything else wrong with the problem that might have been missed the first time, you will not hesitate to lower the grade. Tell them you will regrade it from scratch and whatever the new grade is, that is what they have to stick with. (I've had a few professors say this to our classes, I think it was physics and chemistry, but I'm not sure.....) -- ############################################################################### Roberta Millstein roberta@eleazar.dartmouth.edu ...dartvax!eleazar!roberta Would you believe Dartmouth is kicking me out into the real world this spring?
tlh@cs.purdue.EDU (Thomas L. Hausmann) (03/12/88)
In article <8394@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU>, roberta@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Roberta Millstein) writes: > In article <Mar.10.00.57.36.1988.22898@topaz.rutgers.edu> mlevine@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mike Levine) writes: > > >Stupid Faculty Tricks > >RUTGERS STATE UNIVERSITY GUIDELINES FOR DEVISING UNDERGRADUATE > >EXAMINATIONS > > 11. Next, inform the students that if there are any questions > >regarding the exam, to bring them to your attention. Also explain > >to them how much point-bartering is hated ... > >Don't forget to point out that if you find anything else wrong with the problem > that might have been missed the first time, you will not hesitate to lower the > grade. ... > > (I've had a few professors say this to our classes, I think it was physics > and chemistry, but I'm not sure.....) > Roberta Millstein roberta@eleazar.dartmouth.edu > Would you believe Dartmouth is kicking me out into the real world this spring? The only time I have ever taken an examination to a prof for a "grade correction" was as a Freshman. I had received a 92 on my Calc III exam and a problem had been marked "-1" when in fact it was correct. The prof made the correction, scanned the rest of my exam *on the spot,* found an error he had missed before, marked it "-2", and changed the grade to a 91. I have been in school for six years since then and have never asked for a regrade. -Tom ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Hausmann Dept. of Computer Sciences Purdue University tlh@mordred.cs.purdue.edu | My ideas? There has never been an original ...!purdue!tlh | thought since Plato.
clarke@csri.toronto.edu (Jim Clarke) (03/14/88)
In article <8394@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU> roberta@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Roberta Millstein) writes: >> 11. Next, inform the students that if there are any questions >>regarding the exam, to bring them to your attention. Also explain >>to them how much point-bartering is hated and although all comments >>will be considered, they most likely will NOT change anyone's grade. > >Don't forget to point out that if you find anything else wrong with the problem >that might have been missed the first time, you will not hesitate to lower the >grade. Tell them you will regrade it from scratch and whatever the new grade >is, that is what they have to stick with. > >(I've had a few professors say this to our classes, I think it was physics >and chemistry, but I'm not sure.....) I always say this myself. Can you explain why I should be blind to all parts of the test except the ones the student asks me to look at? Actually, though I've often found reasons to lower a test grade rather than raise it as asked, I don't think I've ever actually lowered the recorded grade; instead, I point out that when I make a judgement call on whether to take a mark off, the judgement doesn't always go against the student. And most student queries turn out to be about judgement calls, not marking mistakes. -- Jim Clarke -- Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4 (416) 978-4058 BITNET,CSNET: clarke@csri.toronto.edu CDNNET: clarke@csri.toronto.cdn UUCP: {allegra,cornell,decvax,linus,utzoo}!utcsri!clarke
roberta@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Roberta Millstein) (03/29/88)
In article <8803140104.AA08638@hoskin.csri.toronto.edu> clarke@csri.toronto.edu (Jim Clarke) writes: >I always say this myself. Can you explain why I should be blind to all >parts of the test except the ones the student asks me to look at? You shouldn't be. I guess my point was, though, that many professors say this with sort of a threatening tone of voice, as in, don't dare to question my grading or I may penalize you for it. This may lead some students who have a legitimate gripe to not say anything about it for fear that they are wrong, or that the professor may be angry with them. I myself always try to judge whether any points I might gain would be worth making myself appear as a point-grubber. >Actually, though I've often found reasons to lower a test grade rather than >raise it as asked, I don't think I've ever actually lowered the recorded >grade; instead, I point out that when I make a judgement call on whether >to take a mark off, the judgement doesn't always go against the student. >And most student queries turn out to be about judgement calls, not marking >mistakes. Of course, there will always be questions where the grades are very much judgement calls. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Roberta Millstein roberta@eleazar.dartmouth.edu ...dartvax!eleazar!roberta Would you believe Dartmouth is kicking me out into the real world this spring?
larry@jc3b21.UUCP (Lawrence F. Strickland) (04/03/88)
From article <8470@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU>, by roberta@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Roberta Millstein): > In article <8803140104.AA08638@hoskin.csri.toronto.edu> clarke@csri.toronto.edu (Jim Clarke) writes: > >>I always say this myself. Can you explain why I should be blind to all >>parts of the test except the ones the student asks me to look at? > > You shouldn't be. I guess my point was, though, that many professors say this > with sort of a threatening tone of voice, as in, don't dare to question my > grading or I may penalize you for it. This may lead some students who have > ... >>Actually, though I've often found reasons to lower a test grade rather than >>raise it as asked, I don't think I've ever actually lowered the recorded >>grade; I've been waiting to see if anyone brought up a problem that I seemed to have constantly. Since noone has, let me broach the problem of two students comparing their papers and finding that a particular answer has been recorded as correct on one paper and wrong on another (usually, this is just a small part of a problem since I'm kinda liberal when it comes to partial credit, particularly in my math classes, less so in programming classes :-) Student A (whose paper is marked correct) accompanies Student B to my office. Student B presents the problem in, usually, a nice manner. Upon examining the problem, I find that it has been marked WRONG correctly. Student B then, usually a bit more beligerantly(sp?), points out that it was marked CORRECT on Student A's paper. Following the concept embodied in the above articles, I should then re-mark Student A's paper LOWER! Needless to say this evokes some rather harsh criticism. BTW: Before my name gets added to the 'Cruel to Undergraduates' List, might I not that I NEVER actually reduced the grade of any such student. To solve this problem, I've adopted the attitude that I will NEVER lower any student's grade, only increase it if I feel that there was a problem. When I first tried this, I expected to have my door beaten down. It didn't happen! As a matter of fact, I get less questions about grades now than I used to! The only requirement that I've added is that students do not attempt to catch me between my classes, but come during (very liberal) office hours. Anyway, how do other people solve the above problem? -- +--------------------------------------+-- St. Petersburg Junior College --+ | Lawrence F. Strickland | P.O. Box 13489 | | ...gatech!codas!usfvax2!jc3b21!larry | St. Petersburg, FL 33733 | +-(or) ...gatech!usfvax2!jc3b21!larry -+-- Phone: +1 813 341 4705 ---------+
mason@milkfs..istc.sri.com (Dean Mason) (04/05/88)
Ashamed to admit it but I recieved the following comment on a freshman term paper at an Ivy League School... "Is this your native language?" Although, the harshest I've heard to date was related to me by a professor who write the following on one student's senior thesis... "I'm looking forward to working with you on this next year..."
mal@pbhyf.PacBell.COM (Martin A. Lodahl) (04/05/88)
In article <11974@sri-spam.istc.sri.com> mason@milkfs..istc.sri.com (Dean Mason) writes: >Ashamed to admit it but I recieved the following comment >on a freshman term paper at an Ivy League School... > "Is this your native language?" > A paper I submitted was returned with a poor grade and the comment, "Your paper is like the Peace of God ... " It was many years before it occurred to me that the three dots meant, " ... in that it passeth understanding!" -- = Martin A. Lodahl Pac Bell Minicomputer Operations Support Staff = = {dual,lll-crg,ihnp4,ames,pyramid}!pacbell!pbhyf!mal 916/972-4821 = = If it's good for ancient Druids, runnin' nekkid through the wuids, = = Drinkin' strange fermented fluids, it's good enough for me!! 8-)} =
clarke@csri.toronto.edu (Jim Clarke) (04/06/88)
In article <359@jc3b21.UUCP> larry@jc3b21.UUCP (Lawrence F. Strickland) writes: [lots of stuff, including mine, omitted] >Student A (whose paper is marked correct) accompanies Student B to my >office. Student B presents the problem in, usually, a nice manner. Upon >examining the problem, I find that it has been marked WRONG correctly. >Student B then, usually a bit more beligerantly(sp?), points out that it >was marked CORRECT on Student A's paper. Following the concept embodied in >the above articles, I should then re-mark Student A's paper LOWER! >Needless to say this evokes some rather harsh criticism. My solution to this problem (which doesn't arise all that often if you mark carefully enough :-) is to say, "Two wrongs don't make a right." I admit that I've done one thing wrong and apologize for it, but refuse to repeat the error. Not all students are happy with this, but none that I remember has persisted in claiming more marks. -- Jim Clarke -- Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4 (416) 978-4058 BITNET,CSNET: clarke@csri.toronto.edu CDNNET: clarke@csri.toronto.cdn UUCP: {allegra,cornell,decvax,linus,utzoo}!utcsri!clarke