The first class test was a wake up for us all. The average score was 72%, a straight C, worse than in previous years (2012, 2011).
The scores went like this. No one got everything right, but five students got 100% on my grading algorithm. Thirteen students got an A. And from there: A-, 19; B+, 9; B, 27; B-, 19; C+, 15; C, 15; D, 29; Fail, 25 + 4 no shows. The big concern is the almost 60 students who got a D or worse. I am not sure why they did so poorly (ideas on a postcard please). My theory is that the class is dominated by juniors and seniors this year, the very students who are most difficult to motivate and most likely to skip class (they think they can handle Gen Eds easily and they are more focused on their majors).
But actually, I don’t know that. To test my theory, my staff assistant Monica is crunching the numbers. I’ll post the analysis when we’ve done it.
Meantime, students, if you got a score you don’t like, review the test (your answers and mine on Angel now) and figure out what you got wrong and why. If you can’t figure it out, come see me after class, or email TA’s Kira or Ethan. You gotta get on this. It’s only a couple of weeks to the next test.
My homework: to try to figure out how to teach a large class which includes 32 people who got an A- or better and 58 who got a D or worse. It’s not a Bell curve. It’s an inverted Bell curve. Or at least a deep pie dish. How do I teach to that distribution?