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non sailing math help for the brain dead

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MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/25/2006 : 00:17:27

OK it is late, my brain is dead, and my wife called me in to help her. I usually think I am fair with math, but not tonight. She is teaching an English class at the state university and is working on her sylabus. In talking about her grades she is giving points for her class, she usually just does a straight 80, 90,100 % thing. The powers that be want part of the grade to be for a protfolio (remember she is the English teacher not me, please ignore my spelling mistakes, I'm blind to them). The portfolio is 30 % of the total. So how does she figure this out.

lets say she gives 1000pts for her part, the portfolio is worth 30 % of the total, so
1000 + 30%total = total
how would she figure out what the protfolio is worth?

Matt/Brigitte Loeffler
E.C. Rider 5411
Cat 25 86'
FK/SR _/)

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2006 : 00:55:23

Matt,
I think this is right:

total = 1000 + 0.3(total)....[total equals 1000 plus 30% of total]
1000 = total - 0.3(total).....[subtract 0.3(total) from both sides]
1000 = total(1 - 0.3)..........[factor out total on right side]
1000 = total(0.7)...............[subtract factored numbers on right side]
total = 1000/0.7................[divide both sides by 0.7]
total = 1428.57
So the portfolio would be worth 428.57.

David

Edited by - delliottg on 08/25/2006 01:13:17

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2006 : 06:06:55

Be easier IMO if she scales it and awards 700 points for her part and 300 points for the portfolio. But maybe she doesn't want to weight it that much.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2006 : 06:41:55

weighting is the magic word and all electronic grading programs have preferences where you set the weighting factor for different categories. Tests, daily work, labs, portfolios, final, papers, etc. The actual point value of each category is irrelavant. She simply needs to tell the students the percentage value of each category of work that she is requiring and let it go. Most computer grading programs have demo versions that handle up to 10 students, Grademachine is probably the best known.

Edited by - Frank Hopper on 08/25/2006 06:44:20

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2006 : 06:49:20

Sounds nuts to me!
If someone submitted an awesome portfolio and got 100% on the rest then the portfolio would be worth 30% or 30 points out of 100.

If someone else submitted a garbage portfolio but got 100% on the rest, then the portfolio would still be worth 30% = 30 points out of 100.

Finally if someone submitted an awesome portfolio but flunked the rest then the portfolio would still be worth 30% = 30 points out of 30.

Surely the portfolio would be graded like the rest of the sylabus?

Paul

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2006 : 08:05:00

Here is an easy way to do it.

Make the portfolio equal to all of the points possible on the tests for the semester.

so if you have 4 tests at 100 each make the portfollio = to 400 points.

Multiply the test score by .7 and the portfolio score by .3

what you have left would be out of 400 with the portfolio weighted 30%

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2006 : 08:21:28

Paul, I know that you do not want a pedagogical dissertation on multiple intelligences and the proper valuation of them in a grading rubric. However trust that Education is much like case law, it has evolved over a very long time, based on precedent and research. Weighted grading is the appropriate way to address a semester’s work. The big argument in education is about weighted credits, should a Women’s Studies major share the Magna Cum Laude podium with a Physics major based on grade point average?

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2006 : 09:01:42

I think she should grade on a curve

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BradH
Deckhand

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6 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2006 : 11:04:04

(test score average * 0.7)+(portfolio grade * 0.3)=final grade

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2006 : 12:47:21

Reminds me of another educational mathmatical dilema... a biology class, 11:00 am, large windowed walls to both the east and south in Texas, no AC, and a lady... not particularly atractive, monotone voice incapable of emotion and a laundry list teaching style prof.

Even the studios girls fell asleep.

Two thirds the way through the semester, she announced the sad news that more than half the class were failing. She also announced that she had been remiss in telling us that the class included a term paper that would count half our semester grade.

I got an A on the paper and a C in the course leaving little mathmatical doubt as to which group I was in.

The thing learned most from that course was how one can be creative in digging out of a hole... and I'm not thinking earth worms or solely myself.

Edited by - Arlyn Stewart on 08/25/2006 12:59:01

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