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Grading Policies

Scoring: Final overall scores are computed by a weighted average for each student as described below. There is a 100 point scale. 

Item	%
Exam1	50%
Exam2	50%
Total	100%

Grading Scale: Letter grades will be assigned according to the weighted average of points accumulated on items listed above. Grades will be assigned based on your performance alone; not a curve. You will NOT be competing with other class members for a fixed number of A’s, B’S, C’s, etc. A 100 point scale will be used. University Policy requires +/- grading scales. Course grades are determined initially by the following scale:

Score Range From the Lower up to but less than the Upper	Grade
93 - 101	A
90 - 93 (i.e., from 90 to  92.99999999)	A-
87 - 90	B+
83 - 87	B
80 - 83	B-
77 - 80	C+
73 - 77	C
70 - 73	C-
67 - 70	D+
63 - 67	D
60 - 63	D-
0 - 60	F

Late Exams: If you are allowed to submit an exam file late, there are severe penalties unless otherwise indicated during or at the end of the test. In some cases, a late exam submission may not be accepted, or the times listed below will be modified. Initially, the penalties are:

Amount of Time Exam File is Late	Percent Deduction
0+ to 10 minutes	10%
10+ minutes to 20 minutes	25%
20+ minutes to 30 minutes	40%
Greater than 30 minutes	100%

If there are technical problems with submission, we will attempt to work through them without penalty.

Grading Complications: I want all grading in the course to be fair, accurate, and objective. I have put a lot of thought into how to do this. I will handle contested grades and/or scores received on any work, etc. promptly. All questions about grades that potentially involve a change in points must be submitted in person or in writing (not email or telephone). The write-up must include details about the requested change, your name and ID number, and information about the assignment or the hard copy. You must also sign the request.

Grade Reporting: To facilitate accurate and timely grade reporting, and to make them available to class members, anywhere/anytime, grades will only be posted electronically on the Course Blackboard Web Site (the Grading Area is secure). The weights reported by Blackboard may be meaningless.

Academic Honesty: The University's Academic Honesty Policies apply to all work submitted for grading.

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Exam Policies

Exams:

Exams are open book, open notes, open files, open help system. You may open and use any file that you created, or that I created.

A practice exam and solution will be posted so you can see the basic structure of the exams.

The purpose of the exams is to test your knowledge. They give you a chance to demonstrate true mastery of the material. They represent the actual performance or game. The outcome is judged on this performance, not on your preparation. There are 2 Exams which divide the course into two approximately equal parts. The material on the second exam will necessarily include some material from the first exam, so in that regard it is a comprehensive exam because the topics build on the previous ones. Instructions will be given at the beginning of the exam, but may also be available in advance via Blackboard. Any literacy parts of exams are closed book, closed notes with the computers (or just the monitors) off. The Excel implementation parts of exams are open book, open notes, no email, and Web access to Help Systems for our designated software. You may also use the book's files, and any files that you have developed. (Bring your book  and USB jump drive to exams.) You may not use email or access Web sites that are not related to the approved Help Systems. Doing so is an Academic Honesty Violation. All files are to be submitted electronically with appropriate file names. Do NOT email the files to your Instructor. The exams never involve the use of printers. Initial files for exam problems will be in the Assignments area. The amount of time available to work on an exam is limited. Not all students may be proficient enough in Excel 2007 to complete the exam perfectly in the time available. There is partial credit . (The exams serve the dual purpose of testing you on your Excel knowledge in absolute terms, and also in relative terms, that is, relative to other members of the class.)

Missed Exams and Makeup Exam Policies: In fairness to the majority of students who do all their work on time, there is no special makeup exam for each exam. And, I never administer an exam early. However, valid  complications due to illness, family issues, interviews (not an excessive amount, though), or other valid situations may cause missed class and consequently a missed exam. To accommodate missed exams, there is a single, comprehensive  makeup exam at the end of the course. If you have a valid, documented excuse (ideally let me know beforehand, but definitely give me documentation within 5 working days of your return) for missing an exam, you must take the makeup exam. The documentation must be in writing.

Late Exams: Generally, you may not submit exam files late, that is, once the Instructor indicates that the exam has ended. However, when allowed, penalties may follow a sliding scale (see above). Penalties increase quickly.

Ballcaps: Because we want to see your smiling faces and get to know you,   no ballcaps are permitted during exams (there is only one exception).

Soft Copy Exam File Format: Details appear in the Suggested Exercises and will be specified in exam instructions. Always ensure that your name appears in the worksheet, ideally close to cell A1, or at least on a separate sheet with your lastname, first initial as the Tab name, and your name in cell A1.

Lost Files: During an exam it is critical to back your work up regularly (perhaps every five minutes) to a jump drive.These are your responsibility. Backup your files early and often. And be sure to back up the exact, specific files that you submit for grading. Ideally copy them to a (USB) jump (flash) drive, CD, and/or a 3.5 inch floppy disk. When you get home, copy the files to your home PC. Instructors are not responsible for tracking down your lost files.

Extra Credit: Unless it is a specific exam question, I never administer extra credit work. To be fair, it must be available to everyone in the class.

Exam Considerations: The exams cover the features of Excel 2007 assigned in POAC and expanded on in class, and may involve on-the-spot exploration (such as with on-line help) to learn additional features of Excel. They are challenging and fair.

Possible Ways to Prepare for an Exam (Also see the Test Taking Document):

• Read and do the tutorials before coming to class.
• Do some of the Case Problems at the end of each chapter.
• Review the workbooks used in the Lecture/Demos.
• For each POAC tutorial, look at the "Objectives" box on the first tutorial page and ask yourself, "Do I understand that concept?" "Can I think of applications for the concept?" and "Do I have a sense of what moves are made operationally (menus and their menu items; various mouse clicks; and dialog boxes and options) to apply the concept in concrete situations?" Then create a new situation where you apply the concepts. (To the extent that any of the answers to the above questions are not "Yes," you then have a basis for scanning the tutorial itself to refresh your memory.)
• Skim-read each POAC Case Problem, thinking about how the "Objectives" for that tutorial chapter come into play in that case.
• Review the Quick Check questions for each POAC tutorial.
• Study with your course buddies (peer learning works really well) by discussing the book and lecture and lab material.
• Help each other in learning Excel.
• When you are stuck in understanding something, contact your buddies to get over conceptual humps.
• Don't start studying for an exam the night before it.

These last ideas may seem a bit off-the-wall, but have been proven empirically through psychological studies to boost exam scores and creativity in problem solving:

• Eat a high protein meal some time before you take an exam.
• Smell peppermint (you can chew peppermint gum or suck on a mint) as the exam begins.
• Don't wear revealing or provocative clothing to the exam.
  
• Watch something funny before you come to the exam.

 

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