Physics 100 - Spring 2007 - University of Rochester

Physics of the Natural World

 

Best numerical average distribution

This is the distribution of everyone's best numerical average given the four separate ways of calculating averages (see syllabus). The mean best numerical average (BNA) distribution was 83. This was the distribution on which your letter grade was based.

93 and up = A

87-92 = A-

83-86 = B+

77-82 = B

70-76 = B-

60-69 = C

< 60 not so good

Because this is an informal course that is meant to be fun and engaging rather than stressful, I skewed the letter grade distribution such that the mean just touches the B+ line. That's fairly generous but it follows the spirit of what this course is supposed to be in my opinion. Several of you did not do the presentation. The way the syllabus is structured, that absolutely killed your BNA. The level of damage was more than I anticipated/intended for folks not doing the presentation. In these cases I calculated the BNA using a normal presentation grade and dropped the grade one notch. This did not affect the grades of any other student since the letter grade lines were set already.