Test #2 Results November 6, 2009
Posted by jdresner in administrative, grading, hist 102 (Fall 2009), study terms.add a comment
The top terms were:
- Abraham Lincoln
- Industrial Revolution
- Napoleon Bonaparte
- Isaac Newton
- Declaration of Independence
- Charles Darwin
As with the pop quizzes, I scored each answer on a 4-point scale, then added up the results. The high score in the class was 42 out of a possible 48 (before extra credit) again, which I used as the 100% mark (which again raised everyone’s grades a lot). The median score was between B and B-. Here’s how the grade scale worked out:
| Grade | minimum points | distribution |
| A+ | 42 | |
| A | 39.8 | 20% |
| A- | 37.8 | |
| B+ | 34.8 | |
| B | 30.3 | 40% |
| B- | 27.3 | |
| C+ | 24.3 | |
| C | 19.8 | 30% |
| C- | 16.8 | |
| D+ | 13.8 | |
| D | 9.3 | 10% |
| D- | 6.3 | |
| F | 0 |
If you compare it to the last quiz, you can see some movement from B to A and some movement from D to C. But not much.
Study Terms for Chapters 21 through 26 October 30, 2009
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| Chapter 21
African Association |
Chapter 22
caudillos |
| Chapter 23
Alexander Herzen |
Chapter 24
Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| Chapter 25
Abraham Lincoln |
Chapter 26
Asante Kingdom |
Test #1 Results October 5, 2009
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The most popular term, by far, was “Columbian Exchange” followed by “Martin Luther,” “Abolition” and “The Bill of Rights.”
As with the pop quizzes, I scored each answer on a 4-point scale, then added up the results. The high score in the class was 42 out of a possible 48 (before extra credit), which I used as the 100% mark (which raised everyone’s grades a lot). The median score was a B or B-. Here’s how the grade scale worked out:
| Grade | minimum points | distribution |
| A+ | 42 | |
| A | 39.8 | 15% |
| A- | 37.8 | |
| B+ | 34.8 | |
| B | 30.3 | 45% |
| B- | 27.3 | |
| C+ | 24.3 | |
| C | 19.8 | 20% |
| C- | 16.8 | |
| D+ | 13.8 | |
| D | 9.3 | 20% |
| D- | 6.3 | |
| F | 0 |
This looks pretty good, but remember two things. The extra credits were a very helpful: most people got both right, and each grade scale was only three points or a bit more. The top score is very likely to go up in later tests, which means that everyone has to improve just to stay even.
Finally, I was, as I noted, very disappointed by the number of answers which parroted back the textbook’s sidebar definitions. Here are a few examples of how those definitions compare to answers which actually got good scores (3.5 or 4 out of 4) below the fold. My favorite example is the last one: notice how the textbook sidebar definition almost entirely fails to mention what makes Cornwallis important in this chapter, but the student definition ignores all the irrelevant stuff and goes right to significance? Note that the student definitions aren’t perfect but they very clearly cover the context, often mention and define related terms, and are especially good on significance, why the term/person/etc. mattered:
Study List for Test #1 September 25, 2009
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Here is the collected list of terms from the chapters to be covered by Test #1. As I said previously, I will give you a few terms from each chapter and you will answer twelve, including at least one from each chapter.
| Chapter 15 Altepetl Chapter 16 Catholic Reformation Chapter 17 Abbas I |
Chapter 18 Carolina Chapter 19 Abolitionist Chapter 20 Aurangzeb |
ID Tests August 21, 2009
Posted by jdresner in administrative, grading, hist 102 (Fall 2009), homework, study terms.3 comments
The pop quizzes and tests will be Term Identification tests: I will give you a list of terms selected from the “Key Terms” list at the end of each chapter, and you will write a short paragraph defining and explaining the importance of the term.
The answers I’m looking for have three important components:
- Definition: Basic information about what the person did or what the event involved or what the term means.
- Context: What country or region, what time period does this fit into? What else is happening around this term that’s important to know? What other people or events or concepts play a role?
- Significance: Why is this an important person or event or concept? What does this change about the world, and what comes after this that couldn’t have happened without it?
Definition alone, which is what you get if you memorize the textbook sidebar or a sentence or two from the text, gets you up to about a C. Context gets you to B-range. You need all three to make an A. (All of this assumes that you’re getting it right, of course.) You can get all that from the textbook, if you read it carefully, but it’s a lot easier if you listen to the lectures, too. Your answer on tests need not be limited to the material in a single chapter: many names and terms and processes will appear in multiple chapters; pop quizzes, on the other hand, will focus on the term as defined in the chapter assigned for that day.
You can find some exemplars of good work from previous semesters here and here.
I grade the individual questions on a 4-point scale: 4=A, 3=B, etc. On the tests, I then total those up and, taking the highest grade in the class as 100%, convert them back to a letter grade with pluses and minuses. I record that grade (on a hundred point scale, so F is still worth more than zero) as your grade on the test.
Test 2 Results March 25, 2009
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The most popular terms were French and American Revolution, Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon. Only one person did Qianlong and only two did Kant.
The high score in the class was 39 out of a possible 48. The median score was a B; as you’d expect with a lower top score, the median was a bit higher than last time. Here’s how the grade scale worked out:
| Grade | minimum points | distribution |
| A+ | 39 | |
| A | 37 | 20% |
| A- | 35 | |
| B+ | 32 | |
| B | 28.25 | 45% |
| B- | 25.25 | |
| C+ | 22.25 | |
| C | 18.5 | 25% |
| C- | 15.5 | |
| D+ | 12.5 | |
| D | 8.75 | 10% |
| D- | 5.75 | |
| F | 0 |
11 people were helped by the extra credit, moving up a grade because of those points. That’s more than a third of the people who attempted the extra credit questions.
Two procedural notes and a small test change March 9, 2009
Posted by jdresner in administrative, doing history, grading, homework, study terms.add a comment
- If you email an assignment to me, I will email you back with an acknowledgement (or a question, if the file is missing or I have difficulty with opening it). If you don’t get an email confirmation from me, then I haven’t gotten it.
- I take class time to hand back assignments when I have finished grading them. If you are not in class when I hand them back, you need to come to me to get it; I don’t spend extra class time later trying to track down people to give them assignments. (Or you can wait until the next assignment is graded, since I do run through everything in my folder.)
On the next test, I’m going to keep the structure of the last one — Twelve terms: two from each chapter, plus four from any remaining terms — with a slight modification. Because we spent more time on the Enlightenment/revolution chapter, I’m going to require three from that one. You still have three “free choice” terms, though.
Extra Credit Op.: PSU Jazz March 3, 2009
Posted by jdresner in Uncategorized, doing history, historiography, religion, study terms.add a comment
The 35th Annual PSU Jazz Festival happens Friday March 6th at 7:30 PM in Memorial Auditorium, 503 N. Pine. Besides hearing the PSU Jazz 1 and our own Todd Hastings (trumpet) you also can hear a great saxophonist, Eric Marienthal.Eric is a former member of the Grammy Award winning Chick Corea’s Elektric band and the Rippingtons. Currently he is first call L.A. and can be heard on numerous sound tracks as well as with the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band.Eric records with Peak records and has produced some 11 albums. His sounds have topped the Contemporary Jazz Charts on several occasions.Tickets for the event are available at the PSU Ticket Office or at the door. The cost is $12.00 adults and $10.00 for those 65 and over or 12 and under.During the day groups will be performing in McCray, the Student Center, and Memorial Auditorium. These highs school, middle school and community college groups are being judged on their performances. The daytime events are free so step out of your office and catch some great jazz.
Friday Test February 11, 2009
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For those of you who couldn’t make it today, here are the parameters and instructions for the test on Friday (2/13):
I will choose terms from each chapter, roughly 7-10. You will pick twelve (12) to write about, in the same style as the pop quizzes. You have to pick two from each chapter, but the remaining 4 can come from any chapter.
You’ll have the full 50 minutes. I’ll bring the test, as well as paper; all you have to bring is a suitable writing implement — pen, pencil, etc. — and everything you’ve learned since the beginning of the semester.
Also, I handed out paper copies of the study terms for the next test, chapters 19-22. If you’d copied them from the master list previously, you should go back and do it again, as I’ve trimmed it somewhat in the last week.
Study Guide and Document Assignments January 21, 2009
Posted by jdresner in Schedule Change, administrative, hist 102 (Spring 2009), homework, study terms.add a comment
The main writing assignment this semester will be the eight document assignments. The tests will be based on the chapter study terms. I handed out the document assignments and the first set of study terms today, and we will talk about the assignments and tests, and do a mock pop quiz based on the chapter 15 terms, on Friday the 23rd.
