Section 5 Grading
Subsection 5.1 Components of course grade
Subsubsection 5.1.1 Homework
The homework is intended to help you in the learning process through regular work, improve the quality of learning, and increase and consolidate your knowledge.
The homework will consist of daily assignments completed in WeBWorK. WeBWorK is a free online homework system. A link to the Boise State WeBWorK server will be posted in BlackBoard. With WeBWorK, you will get immediate feedback, which can help you know which topics you need to study and which ones you have already mastered.
Subsubsection 5.1.2 Quizzes
The quizzes, like the homework, are intended to help you in the learning process through regular work, improve the quality of learning, and increase and consolidate your knowledge.
Most weeks will have a take-home quiz.
Subsubsection 5.1.3 Exams
The exams are intended to be an opportunity to demonstrate your mastery and understanding of course material, and a tool for your learning. Exams will give you feedback on your learning progress and help you plan your study efforts.
There will be two midterm exams and a final exam. Midterm exams will be take-home. The final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, December 16, 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Exam dates are:
- Exam 1:
Start of week 6: Monday, October 5
- Exam 2:
Start of week 12: Monday, November 9
- Final Exam:
Wednesday, December 16, 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
To pass the course, you have to take every exam, pass at least one midterm exam with at least 60%, and pass the final exam with at least 60%.
Subsubsection 5.1.4 Attendance and participation
Participation in class helps you learn the material and develop communication and teamwork skills. It also helps other students learn the material and develop communication and teamwork skills. If you are absent from class, your absence impacts other students.
Because they are so important, attendance and participation are required, except for excused absences such as family or medical emergencies.
Talk to me if there are reasons that attendance and participation are difficult for you, for example health or medical problems; family situations; problems with tech or internet access; timezone issues. I am willing to get creative to find accomodations.
Subsubsection 5.1.5 Weights
The components of the course grade are weighted as shown in the following table.
Component
Weight
Homework
20%
Quizzes
20%
Exams
45%
Attendance and participation
15%
Subsection 5.2 Preparation and Participation
Preparation for class includes reading relevant course notes before class, being ready to learn about that topic in class, reviewing previous class material, and knowing what questions you are planning to ask about homework or previous class material.
It's okay if reading the course notes before class isn't enough to understand the material. Rather, the point is to read the section in order to be ready to learn about it in class. Class discussion of the topic should answer many questions and clarify the reading. Following class, please re-read the course notes to fill in details.
Constructive participation includes answering or attempting to answer questions in class, contributing constructively to in-class group work, asking good questions, and being respectful of others.
Active participation includes communicating actively in class. In our remote meetings, that may include using your camera to show yourself, using your microphone to talk, writing on the screen (using a tablet and stylus, mouse, or trackpad), and typing in chat. You are not required to use all of those things all the time, but you have to do something to be an active part of the conversation.
Lack of preparation and participation causes distractions and degrades the course experience for other students in the course.
Subsection 5.3 Makeup Work
Please pay close attention to the WeBWorK, quizzes and exam due dates. In general the makeup policy is no makeups, except in cases of emergencies such as family or medical emergencies. Contact me before a missed due date if possible, or else as soon as possible after the missed due date.
Midterm exams and the final exam are extremely difficult to makeup. Makeup exams will only be allowed in the most serious emergencies.
If you will miss a quiz class day, you should email me a copy of the quiz before the due date, if possible.
WeBWorK assignments have two due dates. The first due date, called a Reduced Scoring Date, is the date the assignment must be completed by to get full credit. The Reduced Scoring Date is before the start of the next class. The second due date is the final due date. After that date the assignment can no longer be completed for partial credit.