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7.1: General Grading Rubric for Problem Sets

  • Page ID
    9908
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    General Expectations

    • If an activity worksheet has been provided, then you need to submit that document, along with any other analyses, plots, or calculations you made to arrive at the answers in your worksheet.
    • I should be able to follow your calculations so that I can provide feedback if you have made a mistake.
    • Responses to follow-up questions should be in complete sentences and demonstrate your ability to interpret the results of the analysis.
    • If you are submitting a scanned, hand-drawn plot, chart, or drawing as part of a data analysis activity, then please double check to make sure everything on the electronic version of it is legible. See below for more details.

    Grading Rubric

    All the data analysis activities, regardless of length or difficulty, are worth 100 points because that makes my life easier. I make each numbered problem worth the same number of points also. So, if there are 10 problems, they are each worth 10 points. If there are 8 problems they are each worth 12 points (and I spot you the other 4 points because I’m just that benevolent).

    My grading procedure is as follows:

    • Fully correct responses receive full credit
    • Blank responses receive no credit
    • Assigning partial credit for partially correct responses is always a subjective process, but I try my best to be consistent.
      • In the case of a partially correct calculation, I follow along with the work you’ve shown in order to figure out where your error is. If you don’t show your work, then I can’t give as much partial credit.
      • In the case of partially correct responses to open-ended discussion questions, I try to assign partial credit based on how close you were to the thoroughly correct answer that I was aiming for. Please proofread all answers to discussion questions so that you can make sure your answers make grammatical and logical sense. I can’t give as much partial credit if I can’t figure out what you are trying to say!
      • In the case of a partially correct plot or graph, I assign partial credit based on the number of correct elements including data points, labels on axes, legends, and general legibility
      • In the case where an error you have made early on in a problem set affects later answers, I strive only to deduct points for the first mistake. This is also a case in which showing your work is helpful because then I can find the original source of your error, track it through your later calculations, and you will not have to lose points more than once because of it!

    My numerical grading scale (i.e. what range of scores equals an “A” or a “B”, etc.) can be found linked under Syllabus in the menu bar.


    This page titled 7.1: General Grading Rubric for Problem Sets is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Eliza Richardson (John A. Dutton: e-Education Institute) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.