It was time to turn in mid-term grades, and I went with a very simple grading rubric:
- 20% of quiz one
- 20% of quiz two
- 60% of test one
I downloaded all of the student grades from our online class management system (Blackboard) into Excel, and created my simple grading formula. I then converted each numeric score into a letter grade, and posted their letter grades into our student information system. It’s a process I’ve done well over a hundred times.
I then sent an email to my students letting them know I had posted their mid-term grade, and shared the formula I had used to determine their grade.
Shortly after sending that email, a student wrote to me and told me that he got a different grade than what I had posted when he did the calculation for himself.
I went back to my spreadsheet, and there was my mistake staring me right in the face.
When I had downloaded the grades from Blackboard, the grades came into my spreadsheet in the order that the quizzes and test had been given in: quiz one, test one, quiz two.
As a result, I ended up calculating their grades as follows:
- 20% of quiz one
- 20% of test one
- 60% of quiz two
I had reversed the last two assessments.
It took me all of 30 seconds to recalculate their grades (you gotta love Excel), and then just a few minutes to repost their revised grades to the student information system.
I then had to send out another email letting the students know that I had made a mistake and that I had posted their correct grade.
For most of the students, there was no change; for some students the correct rubric increased their grade, and for some others, it lowered their grade. (I’m also guessing that many students had not yet checked what grade I had posted for them the first time, so they never saw the error).
Fortunately, these were just the mid-term grades, and it was easy enough to go in and fix their grades.
If this had been their final grades, it would have been a major headache to correct everything.
So hopefully I’ve learned my lesson about being extra careful about doing student grades (you’d think I’d already know that after 35 years).
And thankfully, if I do make a mistake, I am sure I can count on a student or two to let me know…
Good thing you had a student who was quick-on-the-ball. That student must be very smart and dedicated, and will likely become a rich and famous accountant one of these days.
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the student would make a good auditor, that’s for sure…
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I’m assuming that the student who told you of the error was one of those whose grade improved after the recalculation?
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that would be correct 🙂
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If the student who reported the error actually had a lower grade, that person would deserve an A for honesty, or perhaps an F for stupidity. 😄
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hmmmm… I guess sometimes it’s a fine line…
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Even smart professors mess up sometimes! 🙂
I am sure that the student who pointed out the mistake was very pleased with himseld.
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and then there are the professors like me…
I am sure the student was glad he caught the error 🙂
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We are humans – and we do err sometimes. It’s a good thing that this was caught before you were able to finalize your grades. You have a great auditor/accountant in the making with that one!
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that was my thought exactly – I’ve got a future auditor here!
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An honest mistake! Glad it was a quick fix. 🕊
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yes, thankfully it was an easy mistake to fix!
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Good to know they’re paying attention. Villanova 55 North Texas 40 as I’m typing this. Looks like you’re in good shape to move on to the Sweet 16. Lots of upsets this weekend. I saw that Loyola-Chicago took out the #1 seed in Illinois. Do you remember Sr. Jean from a couple of years ago? This concludes your NCAA basketball tourney report. 😎
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When it comes to their grades, they are on top of things. And Nova looked good last night. And what another great story for Loyola-Chicago and Sr. Jean. It would be fun if Nova and Loyola made it to the Final Four…
And I appreciate your reporting 🙂
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Excel is amazing!
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it is a great piece of software; relatively easy to use and powerful…
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I am not surprised that the simple error was noticed. Isn’t accounting all about checking other people’s math?
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I should try and sign up this student as an accounting major quickly. He’s got what it takes!
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At least a little extra credit for this course!
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You’ve taught them well.
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Yes. I tell them to always check my grading on tests and with their grades for the semester. Odds are high that somewhere I’ve made a mistake… 🙂
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It keeps them on their toes. 🙂
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and keeps me honest… 🙂
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Just shows that you taught them well! I raised my kids to question me all the time. Sometimes I regret this, but I think it served them well.
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it’s always good to ask questions. I tell my students there are no penalties for asking a question..
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good luck for all of you!
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thanks, we will all need it… 🙂
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Brilliant..you have taught your students well and it is human to err and admit it …x
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yes, my students are learning to be good auditors…
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Lol, mistakes are inevitable, as we’re all human, and thankfully it was a quick fix! Here’s to making and learning from our mistakes!
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yes, the key is to learn and not repeat the error! 🙂
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These things happen – when I was at university I sat a 2 hour exam on sports marketing and pr.
I completed the first section on marketing and realised the pr section of the exam was missing! This was the same for everyone else in the room forgot to attach the second paper!
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so did anyone bring it to the teacher’s attention? hopefully the teacher didn’t try to blame someone else for the oversight…
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The university used examiners who were retired folk making a little extra money, so he could do nothing about it!
Fortunately the lecturer had to honour what was there as it was his mistake, though at the time I remember thinking all that time I spent revising sports pr that I didn’t get to use! 😅
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I am sure that was tough having spent all that time and then not getting to show what you knew. As long as the lecturer admitted it was his mistake…
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