Preparation involves completing class-prep assignments before class meetings. Each task, worth 10 points, covers essential definitions, theorems, and methods, and involves solving simple problems. Your preparation score is the average of these assignments.
Participation includes group written assignments (9 points each) and class polls via Clicker (6 points each). In both cases, 75% of the score is attributed to completion, while 25% considers accuracy, clarity, and comprehensiveness.
After-class review includes submitting 5 homework assignments, each capped at 15 points. Your semester review score is the average of these assignments.
All assignments will target essential learning objectives and will be graded using a holistic rubric.
Class-preps are intended to help students explore and understand key concepts before class meetings, making make-ups impractical. However, to accommodate unforeseen circumstances, the two lowest scores will be dropped at the end of the semester.
Clicker polls cannot be made up. However, clicker points from the first and last weeks will count as extra credit. Additionally, you can recover lost points by actively participating on the Canvas discussion board. Each week, you can earn up to 6 points for posting insightful questions and an additional 6 points for providing thoughtful and valuable responses.
For other assessments, notify me before the deadline if you need an extension. You have up to two days to complete makeups. If that's not possible, we can discuss an alternative assignment. No makeups will be given after solutions are posted.
Grade disputes must be addressed within 2 days of the grade release or the semester's end, whichever comes first. After this period, only score calculation errors will be corrected.
For the Poster Assignment: 9 points for completing the poster and meeting each deadline with original writing (no direct copying from sources), 3 points for the quality and accuracy of the content on the poster, and 3 points for the effectiveness of the presentation.
Preparation Average 10 points
Participation Average 15 points
Review Average 15 points
Midterm Exam 1 15 points
Midterm Exam 2 20 points
Final Exam 25 points
Preparation Average 10 points
Participation Average 15 points
Review Average 15 points
Poster Assignment 15 points
Midterm Exam 1 10 points
Midterm Exam 2 15 points
Final Exam 20 points
A (Outstanding, 100%): The solution effectively incorporates all key ideas and clearly articulates the underlying thought process. Both the reasoning and the final answer are fundamentally correct.
A- (Very good, 90%): The solution incorporates all essential ideas and clearly articulates the thought process, with only negligible errors.
B (Good, 80%): The solution captures most key ideas and presents a well-articulated thought process. However, it includes minor conceptual misunderstandings, execution errors, or occasional gaps in reasoning that slightly detract from its clarity or accuracy.
C (Sufficient, 70%): The solution incorporates some important ideas and provides a partially articulated thought process. However, it exhibits instances of conceptual misunderstandings, significant execution errors, or missing components in key parts of the reasoning.
D (Incomplete, 60%): The solution is missing most crucial ideas and fails to clearly articulate the thought process. It demonstrates significant conceptual misunderstandings, substantial calculation errors, and minimal expression of reasoning.
F (Inadequate, 40%): The solution is missing essential ideas, lacks any articulation of the thought process, and contains significant errors. Furthermore, no work is shown to support the answer.
F- (Tangential, 20%): The provided work is only loosely related to the problem.
O (No Marks, 0%): No relevant work has been presented.
This holistic rubric provides a consistent and efficient approach to grading by categorizing student work into levels: A, A-, B, C, D, F, F-, and O, rather than deducting specific points. It prioritizes clear communication in student solutions, valuing not only correct answers but also well-articulated reasoning. "A" work earns a score of 100%, even with minor errors, while a 90% is reserved for work that is very good but falls between "Outstanding'' and "Good.'' The "Tangential'" category accounts for poor-quality work, potentially earning a score of 0 for problems where no work is shown.