The following is the way I normally handle course grades in courses with large enrollments.
(1) In courses with homework delivered by online systems, it is normal for students to have rather high homework scores and rather low test scores, which average each other out.
(2) Exam grades are scaled on a per-Exam basis.
- Note that I say "scaled", not "curved." In traditional "curving," a class average is pre-determined, regardless of the class performance. I feel that this is just too arbitrary. Instead, my "scaling" is based on what I consider to be an acceptable performance on the exam. The overall performance of the class is considered, but not the only factor.
- My "scaling" formula will never give scores above 100% (or below 0% either). There is no such thing as better than perfect.
A consequence of this is that the scaling adds more points to low scores than to high scores. This is not unfair, because the added points are not gifts to be doled out equally. but rather corrections for the fact that I did not create the "perfect test."- Sometimes I offer Extra Credit problems, which can result in a score above 100%. Those are gifts (albeit ones that must be earned).
(3) Because scores are adjusted on a per-Exam basis, there is normally no adjustment of scores at the end of a semester. This has the advantage that your projected grade in the class can be calculated at any time. Feel free to come ask me.
(4) After the final calculation of a course average, the following ranges are used to convert to letter grades:
| < 59.5 | E |
| 59.5-69.49 | D |
| 69.5-72.49 | C- |
| 72.5-76.49 | C |
| 76.5-79.49 | C+ |
| 79.5-82.49 | B- |
| 82.5-86.49 | B |
| 86.5-89.49 | B+ |
| 89.5-93.49 | A- |
| 93.5-100 | A |
(5) Sometimes I give "Extrapolated Grades," which predict your final grade based on your performance up to that time. These are careful predictions. For instance, if you are doing better in homeworks than on tests, that is taken into account so that the result is the same regardless of how many homeworks or tests have been completed. If you continue at the same level of performance, you should expect your grade to remain about the same. Conversely, your grade is unlikely to change due to factors other than your level of performance.