From owner-cse584-sp07-list@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Tue Apr 24 20:33:37 2007 Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 20:33:27 -0400 From: "William J. Rapaport" Subject: OPTIONAL FINAL EXAM To: CSE584-SP07-LIST@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: FINAL EXAM, TERM PAPERS, AND COURSE GRADING ALGORITHM ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The optional final exam will consist of 5 short-answer essay questions, of which you only need to do 3. Some of them will be arguments to analyze, very much like the position papers. Some of them will be more open-ended questions, not unlike the course-description questions on the syllabus. The rules are these: 1. You do not have to take the final exam. You can either write a term paper or just do the position papers. 2. If you opt for just the position papers, your maximum possible grade is A-. In this case, I will compute your grade using the following algorithm (which I have not verified :-): a) drop lowest of the 5 position-paper grades b) convert the letter grades to a numerical grade (using the usual A=4,B=3..F=0 scale) & average the remaining 4 letter grades c) multiply that average by 0.9 d) compute an attendance/participation/reading journal letter grade & convert to a numerical grade i) Reading Journal grade: if you did not hand in a reading journal on time or your reading journal was unacceptable, then you'll get an F for the reading journal else you'll get an A (even if I said it was "skimpy") ii) Attendance grade: if you missed 0-5 classes, then A; if you missed 6-21 classes, then C; if you missed 22-41 classes, then D if you never attended, then F iii) Participation grade: if you missed 0 peer-editing sessions, then A; if you missed 1, then A-; if you missed 2, then B; if you missed 3, then C; if you missed 4, then D; if you missed all 5, then F iv) I will average these 3 grades e) multiply that average by 0.1 f) add (c) and (e) and re-convert to a letter grade. g) if your letter grade is A, then your course grade is A- else your course grade is the letter grade. 3. If you choose to do either the term paper or the final exam, your maximum possible grade is A. In this case, I will compute your grade using the following algorithm (also not verified!): a) compute average position paper grade as above b) multiply that average by 0.45 c) compute an attendance/participation/reading journal letter grade & convert to a numerical grade, as above d) multiply that average by 0.1 e) compute your final-exam or term-paper grade & multiply it by 0.45 g) add (b), (d), & (e) and re-convert to a letter grade. 4. If you choose the term paper, you *cannot* do the final exam (and vice versa). 5. You do not need to decide about doing the final exam until just before it begins. 6. However, if you show up for the final exam and begin to read it, then it will be counted in your grade (i.e., you can't back out once you've shown up and looked at it). 7. If you already have my approval for writing a term paper, then it is due no later than the day of the final exam; a) please bring it to my office no later than 4 p.m. or put it in my mailbox in Bell 211 no later than 4 p.m. b) please make sure you follow the instructions for preparing written papers as given at: http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/584/S07/termpapertopics.html and at: http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/howtowrite.html Please pay special attention to my requirements concerning the title page, abstract, and proper method for citing sources! 8. If you already have my approval for writing a term paper, but have made a last-minute decision not to do it or to take the final exam instead, that's fine. Just let me know. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reminder: The final exam is scheduled for: THU 05/03/2007, 08:00 AM - 11:00 AM, OBRIAN 109 It will be a closed-book, closed-notes, closed-neighbor, open-mind exam. Just bring pencil and eraser, and/or pen. I will supply the exam and paper to write answers on. No books, notebooks, food, beverages, or electronic devices of any kind will be permitted in the exam room. ------------------------------------------------------------------------