Reflection on Evaluation methods

Sorry for the long due updates, I wanted to update this long time ago but kept putting it off. Now I find myself not only not a blogger, but also a blog procrastinator. =p

After completing/in the process of completing a dozen or so of courses at this University, I can honestly say that I would rate the evaluation method for CSC236 #1 among the rest. It not only ties in a student into the course with constant evaluation, letting the student find out where he/she stands currently and what he/she needs to work on, the method also a very tolerant and humane way of keeping a student in the ball game even if he/she had a bad fallout with a piece of term work or two.

I have had courses where the final exam could be worth 75~100% depending on how good you do in them, also courses that have only 2 exams(midterm and final) as the only means of evaluating a student. I do not think those are suitable ways for two types of students. 1) Students who keep up with the term work, does most of the exercises but was in very bad shape writing the exams or something just doesn't click for them on those days. They end up receiving considerably lower marks than type 2) where the students doesn't not go to lectures/keep up with term work, but cram their brains out a couple days before the exams. They could possibly received much better marks than type 1) if they have good short term memories and just memorize the questions from previous exams and hoping their appearance this term. Type 2) students will probably forget everything associated with the course a couple months or even weeks after the exam because the contents never entered their long term memory where type 1) students actually remember the material but don't have the mark to show for them.

I like the evaluating methods for CSC236 because it has everything built into it. 3 term tests and a final as long term evaluation for students. Assignments as mid-range and also encouraging students to brainstorm, exchanging ideas and thus possibly learn from each other. And also short-term evaluation in shapes of problem sets where it is a direct reflection of material being taught in recent week or two. The marks are spread out and encouraging as your top pieces of term work would be worth the most among the rest. As a fundamental course for many upper level CS courses to come, I bet the students who sees and takes advantage of this evaluation system will have the materials locked in their brain for years to come and also get a satisfying mark to show for it. Hooray!