Sample Grading Policies:

The following are examples of possible grading policies for PRS. Please feel free to use or adapt them for your needs.

Nathalie Lavoie, Introduction to Resource Economics:

RESEC 102 PRS Grading Policy(.doc)

Bea Botch: Chem 121H and 122H: General Chemistry for Honors students and Chemistry majors

  • One to five questions are asked (about 2 average).
  • Each day counts one point ~ 3% of total grade.
  • Students must answer half of the questions to receive credit.
  • I do not grade on right answers.
  • 4 lowest days dropped.
  • No excused absences beyond this.

From the syllabus ... Personal Response System - PRS

Purchase a "clicker" in the bookstore and bring it to every class. Approximately 3% of your grade will be determined by your PRS score so be sure your clicker is working and your number is recorded correctly in OWL. If you don't know the answer guess! The four lowest scores will be dropped. No excused absences beyond this will be given.
  • Exam 1: 100 pts Thursday, Feb 28, 7:00 PM
  • Exam 2: 100 pts Thursday, April 3, 7:00 PM
  • Exam 3: 100 pts Thursday, May 8, 7:00 PM
  • Final: 100 pts To be scheduled
  • PRS: 20 pts 3 % of the grade
  • Project: 30 pts 5 % of the grade
  • OWL Homework: 60 pts 10 % of the grade
  • Lab: 105 pts 17 % of the grade
  • Total: 615 pts

Approximate Grade cutoffs: A 90, A- 88, B+ 86, B 80, B- 78, C+ 76, C 70, C- 69, D 60%

Grades on the borderline will be determined by performance on the final exam. If this grade is higher than any one of the hour exams, the lowest hour exam grade will be dropped and the final exam grade doubled.


Rogers Fall 2006 Intro Stats course:

PRS: At each lecture, roughly 2 to 6 questions will be asked using PRS. Your PRS score will be based on participation and correct responses to questions that are identified as “counters” during each lecture. Obviously, you must have your RF PRS transmitter with you at each lecture to earn these points. Our first PRS day is Lecture 2 so buy your RF clicker before Monday. You may miss three PRS days before your PRS grade suffers. PRS is used to help you learn and should improve your grade, but if your PRS score is less than your Final Exam score, we remove PRS from your grade and add its weight to the final exam’s weight. See Web Site for details.

Cheating Policy: Cheating happens, especially in large courses, but I will go to great lengths to prevent it. Some students seem surprised to learn that bringing in their friend’s PRS clicker is cheating. I hate cheaters and if you are suspected of cheating I will follow the University’s established procedures to pursue the matter to the fullest extent possible (see your “Undergraduate Rights and Responsibilities” handbook).

Summary of Grading Scheme: You may select variable exam weights from those given below, as long as all weights add to 100%. If you do not declare weights for each exam (or the weights you select fail to comply with the constraints) then the weights will be as given in the brackets. You select the weights at each exam and you can reassign weights throughout the semester.

Course Weights: PRS sessions: 5% [or 0% if PRS < Final] [5%]
Pre-Lecture OWL tasks: 5% [5%]
Team Project: 10% [10%]
OWL Quizzes: 10% [10%]
Exams: First exam: 10%, 20%, 30% [20%]
Second exam: 10%, 20%, 30% [20%]
Final exam: 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% [30%]
[+5% on Final if PRS < Final]

Minimum Grade Guarantee: Grades are determined by student performance on the above items, not by negotiation based on other factors affecting our lives. There are no extra credit activities. To allow you to check your grade-to-date, I will use the following minimum grade cutoff points based on a percentage of the total points available:
A = 92, A- = 90, B+ = 86, B = 82 B- = 78, C+ = 74, C = 70, C- = 66, D+ = 62, D = 58 and F < 58.

Richard Rogers grading policy(.pdf)