Larry J. Zimmerman, PhD, RPA
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

 

Roll Your Own Grade Option

I know that some of you don't do all that well on exams for whatever reason. If you think you can do a better job using some other format, I'd like to make you an offer:

If you wish, you can construct the mechanism by which you are graded.

You need to understand that such a mechanism will need to be approximately the same amount of work that is listed on the syllabus, but it can be of different things, and you can choose the level of work for the grade you'd be satisfied with.

The only exception to this is that you must do the collaborative project

Here's an example of some things you could combine:

Write your own take home midterm and  final that would be about 4-5 essay questions, then answer them (each answer would be about 2 word processed pages).

Options: Zimmerman can write the questions; you can write your own questions; you can make up a multiple choice/true-false/matching/essay exam and provide the answers. If you write them, questions would need to be of quality, not just "thrown together."

Do a project such as the notebook outlined in the current syllabus, but make it much more extensive that that for extra credit.

Do an artistic work that embodies some concept of the class and write a short (1-3 page) essay discussing how your work shows the concept.

You may, of course, follow the class grading structure as currently constructed.

Approval of your Plan

I must give approval for this plan, and I'm happy to "negotiate" if I don't think what you propose is clearly spelled out or adequate in terms of  the amount of work.

If you want to "roll your own," I'd like your "plan" for it turned in by September  24nd at the start of class. You may e-mail it to me.

What to turn in:

• a list of items you plan to do.

• the grade you are shooting for with it.

• the planned date for submitting all parts of it.