Grading

Mastery Grading

This course will use standards-based grading, which is a system that you may not be used to. This section will lay out the details of this system so that you know what to expect. This system has been shown to promote student success. The two key ideas of standards-based grading are

1. No partial credit, each quiz will be graded on a pass/no-pass basis.

2. Anything graded can be attempted more than once.

A list of masteries that you pass is a list of things you can leave this course saying “I know how to do that!” The benefits of this system are that you control your grade. The guidelines below describe exactly what you have to do to earn a passing grade. Overall, this system should be less stressful for you. Not having partial credit may seem scary, but you don’t have to worry about your performance on any particular day. Your grade is determined by what you are able to accomplish on your best days, not just what you remember on a particular day, as is the case with exam-based grades.

Quiz Grading

• Each Mastery quiz will be graded on a pass/no-pass basis.

• Approximately every two weeks, you will have the opportunity to take a Mastery quiz.

• You can attempt Mastery quizzes three times.

  • BUT, after the second time, you must meet with me to discuss your progress.

  • Exceptions may be given for additional attempts. This will usually require an additional data project or a class presentation.

• You will need to pass quizzes twice! 😱

  • After the first time passing, you will be given the grade of "Progressing" and after the second pass you will be the grade of "Mastered".

    • "Progressing" will be given once you pass particular Unit quizzes on Canvas.

      • Passing level for progressing is 75% or higher.

    • You will then be allowed to take a quiz in person to earn "mastery" on that Unit.

• Each question on the Mastery quiz will be graded as correct or incorrect. Small mistakes may be acceptable if the overall answer is correct.

Canvas Exercises & Discussion Boards

After covering a topic in class, there will be homework and possibly discussion boards on those concepts. The homework is broken up into just a few problems at a time after reading an example and will be labeled as “Did I Get This?” quizzes. You are allowed three attempts at each quiz. The questions do not change between attempts, so feel free to review your previous answers. Also, there is feedback on most questions to guide you if you did not answer correctly.

Late homework will lose 3% per day up to 50%. I will also drop your 7 lowest homework scores.

Canvas Quizzes

There is a Checkpoint quiz for each module and one for each Unit. These quizzes are meant to reinforce the homework and practice more than one topic at once. You again have three attempts at each Checkpoint quiz. The questions may change, but the topic will not. There is again feedback for most questions.

The late rules are the same for the homework section. I will drop your 3 lowest Checkpoints.

Portfolios

As you begin to master topics and complete our data projects, you will work to contribute to your statistics portfolio. Your portfolio will include both the written reports and data projects. Part of our grading system will include contributing to your portfolio and presenting your results.

Code of Conduct

Please review the Student Code of Conduct in the College Catalog. Cheating, plagiarism, copying, fraud, and/or lying may result in a grade of “F” for the assignment/test with no make-up work permitted. This also includes the use of homework resources such as Chegg. Any of these infractions may also result in formal disciplinary action by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs as described in the Student Code of Conduct.