Detailed explanation of grades in Phys 1110

Exam 1	Tues. Sept 23, 7:30 PM	15%
Exam 2	Tues. Oct 21	15%
Exam 3	Tues. Nov 18	15%
Final Exam	Mon. Dec 15, 10:30 AM	15%
Homework	CAPA and long answer writeups (combined)	15%
Tutorial participation	Pretests and tutorial particip (combined)	7%
Tutorial homework	Due at start of tutorials	15%
Participation	In-lecture and (mostly) online (combined)	3%
Clickers	In-lecture	Extra Credit: up to 10% of exam total (i.e. 6% of course)

To be even more explicit: your total course points (100 maximum) are computed as

(60 - (clicker score*6) ] * (Ave exam score) + clicker score*6 + 12*(CAPA) + 3*(Long answer) +

15* (tutorial homework) + 4.5*(tutorial particip) + 2.5*(pretests) + 3*(online participation)

where e.g. Clicker score = (your total clicker points)/(maximum total possible clicker points, after dropping your lowest three days worth)

Ave exam score = (your average % for exams 1, 2, 3 and final)

CAPA score = (your total CAPA points) / (maximum total possible) (after dropping one!) , etc.

After computing this course score (from 0-100), we will use a (slightly generous) standard scale:

89-100 = A's (including A-'s)

78-89 = B's ( " B-'s and B+'s ")

66-78 = C's (" ")

55-66 = D's (" ")

< 55 = F

(I will set exact +/- cutoffs later, but most like 89-91=A-, 88-89 = B+, etc)

IMPORTANT! If the class average comes out lower than I expect (due to say, some accidentally overly tough exams!) I will certainly consider "stretching" the scale down a bit (i.e. being more generous than the above). But, I promise that no matter what, I will not get tougher than the above. That means even if everyone in the class gets 91%, I will happily give everyone A's! (Well, in that particular case, A-, but you get the point!)

This is "friendly curving" - the scale can curve in your favor in the end, but it will never curve against you. I do this to encourage collaborative work and a supportive atmosphere - it's not a competition with other students, helping someone else in the class should not harm your grade in any way!

Also note that your clicker score "unweights" the exams, (and fills back in as a perfect score) up to 10% of the exam total: it's thus a bonus that eases the pressure on exams. (That also means that missing clicker points has NO negative impact on your grade!)

Collaborative work is important, effective, and I encourage it in all parts of the class (except during midterms and the final) It means students working together, discussing ideas and even specific problems. It means asking for help when you need it, and giving help whenever you can. It does NOT mean copying. On any assignment in this course, what you turn in must be, in the end, your own work. Copying an answer from someone without understanding it (e.g. plugging in your own numbers into a copied formula for CAPA) is NOT collaboration, it's cheating. If you are not sure, feel free to ask me or a TA. This course operates on an assumptuion of trust and respect - if you feel comfortable,what you're doing probably fine!

MORE DETAILS ABOUT GRADED PARTS OF THE COURSE FOLLOW:

Exams will be a mix of multiple choice and long answer questions. The long answer part will require explanations, very much like tutorials and tutorial homeworks. These are one hour exams, but you have an hour and a half to do them. You will receive a numerical score online (in the form of % correct), and will get the exam back in recitation. Solutions will appear on the web. If you feel your exam was unfairly or incorrectly graded, please talk to your TA or Prof. Pollock as soon as possible. For obvious reasons, we cannot change your grade if you misbubble, so please be VERY careful when you bubble in the scan sheets!

You may bring a single sheet of 8.5 in. x 11 in. paper to exams, with your own handwritten notes.

As you have gathered, I am not interested in having people memorize formulas or problem solutions. Exam questions will be closely related to material from lecture, texts, tutorials, and homeworks. But, it will never be identical - you need to understand the concepts, not memorize facts or solutions.

Calculators with scientific notation are allowed and sometimes needed. (You will not be allowed to share calculators or crib sheets.)

Please read and follow the CU honor code. Don't use high technology to try to take advantage of us. We trust you on this, please respect and value that trust!

The final exam will be cumulative (it will cover all material from the course), but it will focus more on new material from the end of the semester. It will be a 2 hr exam, but you have 2.5 hours for it.

CAPA homework is due weekly, usually Wed at 9 PM (I'll give you an extra day on exam weeks.)

Note: We will excuse your worst CAPA of the semester, automatically. CAPA gives you instant feedback, with no penalty for wrong answers. However, you have a limited number of tries, typically 5 per question. After that, CAPA will ignore whatever you try to input. So, I urge you to work on the CAPA hw away from the computer - try to solve the problem carefully, and just use CAPA to "check". If you sit at the terminal with your calculator, and make notes in the margins, you will not learn much physics, and run the risk of using up your tries on trivial/algebraic errors.

Long answer writeup are due at the start of recitation. (They'll be announced in class, and on the web). Many will be like a CAPA problem, but with "common numbers", so the TA has an easier time grading. Your grade will be based on your solution, not the final answer(!) That is, you will be graded on how clearly you solved the problem: did you draw appropriate diagrams? describe in plain English what you are doing? justify and explain the equations you use? show all details of your solution? check your answer (by common sense, or using units... whatever is possible)? A correct answer with a box around it is worth ZERO points. Full credit means that we could happily copy your solution and post it for the rest of the class to use!

We give these to help you learn how to present a solution - an essential skill in school and beyond. CAPA is great for the quick feedback it gives, but has the drawback that it can lead to poor study skills. CAPA tempts people to "solve in the margins" instead of drawing figures, working neatly, being clear about the steps they're taking. These are necessary skills to practice and learn - hence the long answer problems.

Pretests are given every week, usually running from Monday 10 AM to Wed 9 AM. You can't do them earlier or later that those cutoff times. You get 100% credit for submitting anything. We will drop one missed pretest without penalty, but no more. There is a timer on the web page that will cut you off after 15 minutes - we don't want you spending TOO much time on them. (You can get around the timer if you want, just don't bother) Please make an honest effort at the pretests every week, think about the problem carefully. These are important "practice problems" for exams, you will see something like them on midterms (and, with a similar time constraint!) Your responses also help guide TA's when they prepare for tutorial. Most important, pretests tell you what you are expected to learn in recitation that week. At the end of tutorial, think back on the pretest (we'll have a copy in your classroom) - make sure you understand it! Feel free to ask your TA, or Prof Pollock, if you still think you don't "get it" after the tutorial is done.

Tutorial Participation is required. Please show up every week. We will allow one absense without penalty, but no more. Participation points come from working - you won't get participation points for coming and talking about other homework problems (or the football game...) You must write in your own tutorial book (don't forget to bring it every week!) to get participation credit. Those notes are for you - you don't have to turn them in. They'll be useful for the tutorial homework (next item)

Tutorial Homeworks are due at the start of recitation. We will drop one worst (or missed) tutorial homework without penalty, but no more. They are based on what you did in tutorial the previous week, but extend it a little, give it just a little twist to see how well you understood the main concepts. These are an important part of the course, counting slightly more than CAPA (and equal to any single exam!) You may get help from TA's or other students, but in the end, your work must be your own. (Do not copy someone else's solutions, "getting help" means talking about the ideas, but figuring it out for yourself!) It's not easy explaining and justifying your answers, as these homeworks often ask, but it's an essential skill for this course (and beyond!) Midterm exams will always include a "tutorial-like" question - again, not identical to what you've done, but based on the same ideas and in the same style.

Participation questions will usually be announced in class, and appear on the web page. We will drop one missed question without penalty, but no more. You get 100% credit for effort, we will not "grade" these in any way. They appear from time to time, with no fixed schedule, so keep your eyes peeled. These questions are designed to help improve the course, and find out what you are thinking about or struggling with. They may include surveys and open-ended questions, they give you a voice! Please do your best: we know this is a large class, but we are interested in what you have to say.

Occasionally, I will collect your work during lectures (It may be written, or on very rare occasions, via the clickers) These will count just like the online participation questions - full credit for participation.

Clickers: EVERY class there will be some clicker questions. In general, they count as pure extra credit (see top for details). Unless otherwise announced, you will get 2 pts for ANY answer, right or wrong. If we have a discussion period, you will get a chance to vote again, and will get 2 additional points for getting the correct answer the second round (if there is one) Your clicker score counts as a bonus (extra credit), and will REPLACE up to 10% of your total possible exam score (i.e. 6% of the total course grade, since exams nominally add up to 60% of your grade) The more clicker points you pile up, the less your exams will weigh, up to the max reduction of 10%. If you miss a day, or get some wrong now and then - no worries. There is NO PENALTY for missing clicker points!

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