In a message dated 7/4/2012 1:58:32 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
Elizabeth writes:
Dear Dr. Bill,
This is Elizabeth
_____. I would like to inquire about your grading scale.
Which one do you use? (This wonderful website is helping me
immensely.
Thank You,
Elizabeth _____
Dear Elizabeth,
Hello :)
I use a couple of different approaches to grading depending on what
class I'm teaching, and the "course delivery method."
In general for my Sierra College (Rocklin, California) ASL courses I
use this scale:
100-90% = A, 89 to 80% = B, 79-70% = C, 69-60% = D, below 60% = E
(fail)
For my California State University Sacramento courses I use this
scale:
Scale: 100-95%=A, 90 = A-, 87=B+, 83=B, 80=B-, 77=C+,73=C, 70=C-,
67=D+, 63=D, 60=D-, 59=F.
For my ASLU (registered / tuition paying / Lifeprint.com) students I
use the plus and minus designations:
100-95%=A, 90 = A-, 87=B+, 83=B, 80=B-, 77=C+,73=C, 70=C-, 67=D+,
63=D, 60=D-, 59=F
I also stipulate that a student has to pass an expressive video
project and a cumulative receptive final exam -- each at 70% or
better.
I expect my online students to pass their Video Project and their
Final Exam at 70% or better so that I can document that the distance
education student has attained at least a minimum level of
communicative competence (similar to that which is required of a
typical college student achieving a "C-" or better.
Let me state that again: For my distance education program I expect
my distance education students to do at least 70% on the Video
Project and at least 70% on the Final Exam in order to pass the
course. Even if they get 100% on everything else and otherwise have
enough points to pass I will STILL "fail" the online students if
they can't pass the video project and final exam at 70% or better
because the video project is a performance demonstration of their
signing skills (they can't cheat on it), and the Final exam is
proctored by a responsible adult. The distance education students
might cheat their way through the online quizzes, but will not be
able to cheat on the video project. If they get 100's all the way
through and then get below 70% on either the video project or the
final exam it is obvious that they were just memorizing signs long
enough to regurgitate them on the lesson quizzes, or worse --
looking up the signs as they go throughout the quiz (open-book
style), or having a friend "help" them, or absolutely worst: opening
up the programming code and extracting the quiz answers. But if they
do that, it shows up when they can't pass the video and final exam.
Note: Regarding "online
multiple choice quizzes."
I consider getting 92% to 94% on typical online lesson quiz
(multiple choice) to be the equivalent of a "D" (a result typical of
a "poor" student. Excellent students will simply get 100%. "B"
students will get 98% to 100%. "C" students will get 96 to 98%.
The fact is, multiple choice receptive online ASL lesson quizzes are
really quite easy (if you've studied the lesson) and anyone scoring
less than 92% on such a quiz is likely drunk or obviously didn't
study very hard (or both).
You can learn American Sign Language (ASL) online at American Sign Language University ™
ASL resources by Lifeprint.com © Dr. William Vicars
