Grades

[Alan Isaac]

My grading practices are detailed on the syllabus, available on Blackboard.  In this announcement, I wish to draw your attention to the role of discussion.  I will give a discussion grade each week.

Each week I will start one or more discussion threads related to the required readings.  Each week you must make a substantive post in at least one of these threads.  A substantive comment is not just a repetition of the abstract of a required article; you must show that you have read the required reading carefully and are responding to it.  (For example, you should quote from the reading and analyze what you quote.) You must also give careful replies to responses to your post and do your best to answer any questions that you get from your classmates.  Each week you must additionally comment on a substantive post by two of your classmates, and your comments should build on the comments of other students as well as the required reading.  Your main post, responses to comments, and replies to classmates are graded, and this participation grade is an important component of your final grade in the course.

[Alan Isaac]

Reminder: I will assign a discussion grade at the end of each week. (See the syllabus for details.)  Posts arriving by Saturday night are counted for that week. Posts on Sunday are counted toward the following week. You will be able to see your assigned graded in the Blackboard Grade Center, usually by Monday morning.  Do not forget that part of your discussion assignment is to comment on the posts of other students.  (See the syllabus for details.)

Cheers,

Alan Isaac

[Alan Isaac]

Reminder: You can view your grades on Blackboard.  Discussion grades are based on posts from Saturday midnight to Saturday midnight.  (See the syllabus for details.)

[Alan Isaac]

No Slides Required

In order to reduce the time pressure arising from this being a summer course, I am removing the requirement to make presentation slides to go with your papers.

Alan Isaac

[Alan Isaac]

Discussion

Remember, the guidelines for discussion are on the syllabus.

All discussion grades except this week's are posted to Blackboard.  (They have been posted after each week.)  This week is the last discussion grade.  (Next week I want you to focus only on your project.)