Averaging Grades

[kevin017]

i'm not positive whats going on here, but this thread makes me feel good about myself

[goofball]

Seriously, be smarter.

[Alex-db]

I think this is seriously worrying for any real teacher, but if she is a vocational instrument teacher, not an educator, then I think its OK.

I wouldn't be too worried if a boxing instructor needed a double check on putting a class grade together either.

[VarlosZ]

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Noonan,

There's something that the above (serious) replies neglected, which is that the maximum score on each type of assignment might not be identical. In fact, they usually aren't, unless the instructor has been careful to construct the grades that way. For example, if the tests are graded out of 100 points, but the quizzes only 20 points, the above formula will NOT work.

You need to convert all the scores to the same range, multiply them by their individual weights, and add up the result. The easiest way to convert all the grades to the same range is to just divide each score by the maximum possible score for that type of grade.

An example:

Tests: 45%, maximum test grade is 100 pts.
Quizzes: 20%, maximum quiz grade is 20 pts.
Participation/Attendance: 15%, Max participation/attendance grade is 10 pt.
Online Assignments: 10%, Max online Assignments grade is 100 pts.
Concert Reports: 10%, Max concert report is 5 pts.

Assume a student has an 85 test average, a 15 quiz average, a 10 part./att. grade, a 95 online grade, and a 4 concert report grade.

That student's final grade would be given by:

(85/100)*0.45 +
(15/20)*0.2 +
(10/10)*0.15 +
(95/100)*0.1 +
(4/5)*0.1 = 0.86 = 86%

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LOL (I'm assuming this is mocking)

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Why would you assume that?

Anyway, In addition to what Boro said, I noticed that some college instructors who used a weighted grade system similar to the one in the OP would simplify the averaging process by grading the different parts of the class on the appropriate scale to begin with. So, for example, the tests would be graded 0-45, the quizes 0-20, etc. If the professor had enough forsight to do this, all you have to do is add up the various averages to get the total percentage from 0-100.

[willie24]

i'm not 100% sure what "level" means- but whether OP is kidding or not, there are definitely many people who would be incapable of solving this problem without help (>50% of world population?). while i know that to be true, it is almost hard for me to comprehend.
i think the explanation is something along the lines of: since i am a method X thinker, i have trouble comprehending the existence of method Y (and vice versa).

'method Y' obviously does not prevent people from surviving to adulthood, having kids, and otherwise being successful. there might even be advantages to it (since i don't understand it, i don't know what they would be).

[tshort]

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I think this is seriously worrying for any real teacher, but if she is a vocational instrument teacher, not an educator, then I think its OK.

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The issue isn't how their lack of basic math logic effects teaching a music course.

How do we possibly expect someone with a university degree who can't take weighted averages to understand a debate centered around something such as economic or monetary policy?

[Borodog]

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Borodog,

I am sure you have experience with this:

What is the procedure if the test averages are around 40%?

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My test averages average 50%, by design. I just give the top 10% As, the next 20% Bs, the next 40% Cs, the next 20% Ds, and the lowest 10% fail.

[goofball]

Borodog,

Are you a physics professor?

[T50_Omaha8]

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she's not a math person. that's why she's not going to be a math teacher. she's a terrific piano player. that's why she's going to teach music.

[/ QUOTE ] Because math and music have nothing whatever in common...

[Borodog]

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Borodog,

Are you a physics professor?

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Lecturer. It's like Professor Light.