GRADING CRITERIA
POP QUESTIONS (PQ’S)
Pop questions at the beginning of class are worth two points. These are usually straightforward questions for which there is little room for interpretation. I offer partial credit when deserved.
REFLECTION PAPERS
Reflection papers are
worth two points. They are written after watching a film/documentary in class,
or after attending an event on campus that is related to the course. In case of
films/documentaries, the reflection paper must be written after the video is complete
(in case we watch in two parts) unless otherwise instructed. These one pagers
should engage the video or event in ways that relate them to class material.
For more information, see Reflection Paper Guidelines.
RESPONSE PAPERS
Response papers are assigned by the instructor, and are worth 10 points unless otherwise stated. Response papers should be more analytical than descriptive and demonstrate a deep engagement with the subject matter. Usually, they constitute a response to an article or a set of articles assigned. They should be 3-5 double-spaced pages and should adhere fully to the Response Paper Guidelines.
EXAM SECTION
Exam Letter and Numerical Grades
Short answer or ID questions are presented as numerical grades on your exam.
Essay questions and ID questions are combined to produce a total exam grade. Usually, there will not be an independent grade for the Essay as this will be reflected in the final grade. This allows the instructor to give the student the benefit of the doubt when deserved, and to apply a curve for the whole class when necessary. I offer letter grades as such:
1. Solid letter grades: A, B, C, D, F, with or without "plus" or "minus" (e.g., B+, C-)
2. Composite letter grades: A-/B+, B+/B, etc. (this means you are border line between the two grades).
Essay Evaluation Criteria
Essays constitute the culmination of your learning experience in the course. The are graded on the following criteria:
1. Clear and comprehensive answers to the component parts of the Essay question.
2. Exhibit Strong familiarity with the readings and lecture.
3. Citing authors and articles as the argument is presented.
4. Quality of writing.
· To receive an A-range grade, all four components should be satisfied fully.
· To receive a B-range grade, three components have to be satisfied fully, especially #1, and one component must be satisfied partially.
· Anything less runs the risk of a C or below. If you have a "See Me" on your Exam cover, you should, well, see me! This means i either want to give you an opportunity to ameliorate your grade, or that I have and important question.
Short Terms, Concepts, and ID Evaluation Criteria
All shorter answers must be presented comprehensively to satisfy the question. All answers must include a separate note below the answer that states the significance of the term(s) in question. Thus, students should provide the answer/definition, and proceed to indicate its significance (i.e.,, why is it important, what else does it help us understand, how is it related to the literature and course materials/lectures, etc.). There usually is more than just one significance for every question.
GRADE RE-EVALUATION POLICY
All grades can be disputed. However, disputes involve re-grading, which might increase or reduce the grade in question.
IMPORTANT NOTES
I grade progressively: this means if you do better on the final exam, and your midterm grade is above C, your midterm grade will be discarded and the final exam grade will be privileded. To protect students, the reverse is not true (i.e., if you do worse on th final, that grade will not be privileged).