Course Grading Policy (Spring 2018)
Note: Although we will try to set Canvas up to give you an accurate portrayal of your overall grade, the only component of Canvas that we guarantee to be accurate in your grade reporting is the letter grades shown in the gradebook. Make sure to verify your average independently of what final average Canvas may show in case there is any unexpected behavior.
60% of your grade in this class comes from assignments graded on a letter-grade basis: all assignments and projects are graded using letter grades. This approach aids with intergrader consistency, promotes a greater focus on formative feedback, and limits minor regrade requests. However, 40% of your average is numeric: 30% from the two tests and 10% from participation. So, the grading policy exists to merge letter grades and numeric grades into one final average.
Grade Conversion
Mathematically, your grade in this class is out of a maximum of 1000 points, according to the following totals:
- Assignments: 300 points (30 points per assignment)
- Projects: 300 points (150 points per project)
- Tests: 300 points (150 points per test)
- Participation: 100 points
Tests and participation are graded numerically: however many points you earn is added directly to your final grade. For assignments and projects, letter grades are converted into numeric grades according to the following table:
| F | D | C | B | A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 0 | 7.5 | 15 | 22.5 | 30 |
| Projects | 0 | 37.5 | 75 | 112.5 | 150 |
Final Grade Calculation
Your test grades (each out of 150), participation grade (out of 100), and assignment and project grades (each following the conversion chart above) are added together to find your final numeric score. Your final letter grade is then assigned according to the following buckets:
| Final Numeric Score | 0 – 125 | 126 – 375 | 376 – 625 | 626 – 875 | 876 – 1000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Letter Grade | F | D | C | B | A |
Grade Calculator
Confused? Don’t be: to help, we’ve assembled a grade calculator you can use to compute your grade. Note that you may want to make a copy of it to use in your own drive if others are using it at the same time. This calculator will calculate your final grade when all grades are in, but it can also calculate your “rolling” average based only on what assignments you could have already completed. Note that because participation is cumulative, you will need to enter a target value explicitly.