It’s very strange to me how my department handles grading.
First off, the emphasis on having courses on a curve. I understand the significance of having the course weighted for even distribution. But, when the curve is set up with a C+/B- as the median, I’m not convinced that students understand what they are suppose to. In this system, you can tell how well a student did relatively, but not what they know; there isn’t a checklist of knowledge in this case.
I, as I have mentioned, am doing grading this semester. It’s depressing how few students follow directions.
… Yet, I can’t entirely blame the students. They are being taught to program in the lower levels. The importance of theory (algorithms, logic, and critiacal thinking) aren’t emphasized. It’s very difficult to blame a student for not understanding, if (s)he doesn’t know why things are important and why we do things a certain in way.
Even the tutors and some of the grad students don’t get the signifigance. I just want to hit my head against a wall sometimes.
Tags: students, teaching styles, theory, Work
