Key Policies

Please refer to our syllabus for a comprehensive discussion of our course policies. Here we highlight some key policies relevant for grading.

Philosophies

1. Students are adults who are responsible for how they spend their time. 

2. Course procedures should have room for unexpected life events in the short term (on the order of one week). Longer term accommodations are the responsibility of the student.

3. It is not the instructor's role to adjudicate students' unexpected life events with respect to additional class accommodations. 

Policies

• Attendance: lecture attendance is not mandatory, but students are responsible for all material in lecture. You are encouraged to request notes from other students if you are unable to make a class.

• Late homework: the instructor reserves the right to only grade assignments turned in by the due date (e.g. 11:59pm on the day it is due). 

• Disabilities: students who require disability-related accommodations must put in their requests through the Student Disability Resource Center before the quarter starts. The SDRC then contacts instructors directly about these accommodations.

• Major life events: if you suffer a serious life event that significantly affects your ability to participate in the course, you must still go through the Student Disability Resource Center to request accommodations. The instructor will not accept any doctor notes directly.

• REU-related accommodations: if you are attending a summer REU that requires you to miss the 1-2 weeks of the course, please make arrangements with the instructor directly at the beginning of the quarter. 

• End-of-term requests: The instructor will not entertain accommodation requests at the end of the term. There will be no further discussions about grades after the last week of lectures. 

Peer Review Rubric

Statement of Problem [20%]

Does the explainer tell you what they're about to explain? You should be able to watch the video without having to refer to the problem sheet. You should feel like there is a clear strategy that you can write out and follow.

Grade rubric:

• 5/5: States problem and objectives clearly, Identifies strategy to solve the problem.

• 4/5: States problem and objectives, but some ambiguity about goals or strategy.

• 3/5: States problem, but strategy is not identified. (Just starts solving.)

• 2/5: Identifies problem ("problem #2 in the book"), but does not explain what is being asked.

• 1/5: Does not identify problem.

Solution Quality [40%]

Does the solution convey the key physics required? This is the part of the rubric that grades "correctness" in the conventional sense. We are primarily interested in the method, not the numbers.

Grade rubric:

• 5/5: Understands and uses correct physical principles and appropriate mathematics to solve problem. Explains why each step is taken. Numbers are correct (perhaps up to rounding errors).

• 4/5: Understands and uses correct physical principles and appropriate mathematics to solve problem, but it may not be clear why those are the correct steps or may make minor mistakes. (Crunching numbers is a minor mistake if the equations are correct.)

• 3/5: Basic understanding of physical principles, but may misuse equations or apply incorrect strategy.

• 2/5: Incorrect application of physical principles or mathematical tools.

• 1/5: No meaningful application of physical principles or mathematical tools.

Figures [20%]

Solutions should include at least one figure: a sketch, plot, cartoon, or other visual description of the physical process. Some problems may not have a natural picture; in that case, annotating equations with arrows/highlights/etc. may take the place of a figure. 

Grade rubric:

• 5/5: The figure helps motivate the question, clarify the strategy, and define variables.

• 4/5: The figure is helpful, but may be missing key pieces of information.

• 3/5: The figure is appropriate to the problem, but does not contribute to the explanation.

• 2/5: The figure is not the relevant one for the problem, there is a better one to draw.

• 1/5: No figure, but there should have been one.

Context [20%]

Solving the problem is just part of understanding the material. Does the video explain why this problem is relevant to the week's material? What principles from the reading does it reinforce? What is the significance? Does it identify any follow up questions? Does it identify potential mistakes?

Grade Rubric

• 5/5: Identifies the learning goals the problem reinforces. Points out the "tricky parts" of the problem to make sure listeners avoid possible mistakes. Relates to ideas both in and beyond the reading, identifies follow up questions, or otherwise provides "flavor" beyond the problem itself.

• 4/5: Identifies the learning goals the problem reinforces. Points out the "tricky parts" of the problem to make sure listeners avoid possible mistakes.

• 3/5: Identifies the learning goals the problem reinforces. May point out "tricky parts" of the problem, but with some errors.

• 2/5: Partial identification of the learning goals the problem reinforces; perhaps with errors.

• 1/5: Does not provide any context ("just solves the problem").

Additional information

Reviewers will also be able to mark videos according to the following:

Went Over Time

Please mark this if the presentation went significantly over time. (More than 10 minutes)

Special Recognition

Please mark this if you'd like to nominate the presentation for special recognition as an excellent example. (Suggestion: at most, nominate only about one video per week.)

Controversial

Please mark this if you're unsure about the solution and would like a more careful look at the video. Part of how we test your understanding of the material is being able to make clear assessments about your peers; so please only mark this if you feel that there are extenuating reasons why the video is challenging to evaluate.

Constructive Feedback and Comments

Please provide some brief constructive, friendly feedback for the author of the video. As you are now aware, these videos are challenging to make: the feedback should be helpful and actionable. Point out errors and topics that may benefit from review, offer ways to improve. Always start and end with positive observations.

We ask that you send a copy of the entire form or at least this written feedback to the person you are reviewing.