Thurs, 28 Nov 2019, 01:33 grading

My students,

I just got email from a student who has a misconception about grading
in EE306, so I thought I should share my thoughts with all of you.

The student writes:

> Professor,
>
> I am available anytime after 6 on any weekday to come to your office. I
> understand how the commands work but I’m not able to put them together to
> form the programs correctly. A lot of the issues is having to do with
> subroutines. I am hoping that I can come and demonstrate a level of
> understanding to you that will allow you to help me pass this course.
>
> Thank You,
> <name withheld to protect the student who wants to demonstrate understanding>

This was his second email to me tonight in which he told me he deserves to 
pass EE 306, and wants to come and demonstrate that to me.  If I am reading 
the student's emails correctly, he has a serious misunderstanding about grading
in EE 306, and I hope in all engineering courses that he has in front of him
over the next few years.  

Engineering is about "doing," not about "talking about doing." I welcome the 
interaction I suspect I will have with him, and I hope I can help him master
the material.  I am also looking forward to what he tells me that demonstrates 
his level of understanding.  But what he "says" will not influence his grade; 
what he "does" will determine the grade he earns.  As I have said many times 
already (and I suspect many of you are tired of me repeating it), at the end 
of the semester, I will look at the grades he received on all the graded 
material of the course, and I will use that record of what he has "done" 
to determine what grade I believe he has earned in the course.  What he 
"says" he understands will not enter into that determination.

I hope your Thanksgiving is going well.  Try to not eat too much, and please
do enjoy playing NIM with your folks and younger brother or sister.  I have 
already received some email about how impressed some parents are with the 
game you developed!

See you on Monday.


Yale Patt