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Note: This document describes the Individually Weighted Marking Scheme that was used for the Agroecosystems class in 1998. The Instructor was introduced to this approach by Phil O'Hara of Academic Computing at Dalhousie University. Phil says that mark distributions for class sections using this approach differ little from those using traditional approaches, but students prefer this approach.There are a lot more calculations involved tham with traditional schemes, but that poses little problem with use of spread sheets. Students were given the document below in the first class. In the second class, students were asked what they liked most about the class format, and what they didn't like or found difficult to understand. 24 out of 26 students cited the marking scheme as a feature they liked.

Assessment

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Introduction

We will be using an Individually Weighted Marking Scheme. You must do all assignments in all categories except for Category (5), but you can weight the different categories of assignments to accommodate your own strengths and interests. The minimum values add up to 50%; you decide how to distribute the other 50% within the limits given below. There will also be a mark given according the default weighting: you will receive the highest of the two.

It is more complicated than traditional marking systems, but it is biased in your favor - give a bit more weight to things you really like to do or normally do well in, work consistently, and you should meet your own expectations quite readily. Study the assessment scheme carefully and by Jan. 22, decide how you want your assessment weighted. It cannot be revised after Jan 22. (We will discuss the scheme further in class).

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The 8 Categories and Possible Marks

  1. Text quizzes (4) 10-30% Default value: 15%
  2. Research Credits: 5-20% Default value: 10%
  3. Contributions to Bulletin Board 5-20% Default value: 10%
  4. Special Topic (i) 10-35% Default value: 25%
  5. Special Topic (ii) 0 or 10-25% Default value: 0%
  6. Individual's Group Mark 10-30% Default value: 20%
  7. PS/definitions test: 5-30% Default value: 15%
  8. Attendance 5 % (no choice)

By Jan. 22, decide how you want your assessment weighted. Send me by e-mail seven marks separated by commas, each one not less than the minimum. They should add up to 95 in total (the 5% for attendance is not negotaible). Label the message "mark weighting" and spell out your full name and student number in the text, e.g.

15, 10, 10, 20, 15, 15, 10, Jennifer Smith

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How final marks are calculated

For each category you will receive a mark out of 100. It is multiplied by the weighting factor you have chosen and weighted values are summed for all categories to give the final mark. For example if Jennifer Smith's marks out of 100 were:

80, 70, 65, 85, 80, 75, 90, 100

her total would be

(15/100*80) +.....+ (5/100*100)= 79.75

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Assessment:

(1) Text Quizzes: Typically, each test will consist of 15-20 questions, including T/F questions, short answer questions, and 0 to a few MCQs. There will be 4 tests covering chapters 1-8 in the text. The first test will be on chs. 1 and 2. Each subsequent test will cover one chapter given as assigned reading, and one of the three chapters (3,4,5) which will be discussed in detail beforehand in class.

(2) Research Credits: These consist of assignments to read some assigned papers or search for papers or Web sites to obtain numerical data or other information that we identify as required in relation to Problem-Solving exercises, and making a MIC or WIC report (Monday/Wednesday Information Card). You can do 1-3 assignments @ 5 marks each. Half of the marks will be for the presentation; half for the quality of the reported material/effort to obtain it (assessment by dp).

(3) Contributions to Bulletin Board: Up to twelve points for (i) each thoughtful contribution to the discussion of ecosystem theory and its application to agricultural systems on the Ecosystems Bulletin Board; or for (ii) each submission to the Banter Bulletin Board that contributes signficantly to our academic discussions or is in some way helpful to the class. Comments should include references where appropriate. A maximum of 100 points can be accumulated and you can make up to 12 such submissions, but not more than 2 in one week. You should send separate copies of contributions that you want to count in this category to dp with "BBB count" in the subject line for Banter Bulletin Board submissions or "BBE count" in the subject line for the Ecosystems Bulletin Board.

(4) (5) Special Topics -see Special Topics page for details. Every student must do one Special Topics assignment; a second assignment can be taken on for additional marks (with fewer marks given to other categories)

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(6) Group Marks: Provisionally, groups marks will be assigned in five categories, as follows (the final assignment will depend on the number of groups)

  1. Contribution of group to Monday discussions (x 7 weeks): 20% of total group mark (assessed weekly by dp)
  2. Wednesday Quiz (x 7 weeks): 10% of total group mark (numerical; assessed weekly)
  3. Monday Reports (2**) times over 7 weeks: 25% of total group mark (dp/class)
    [**The number of reports will depend on the final class enrolment]
  4. Web Page Group Contribution: 20% of total group mark (dp/class)
  5. Web Page, overall quality of Special Topics contribution from group members: 25%
    of total group mark -see Special Topics
    (individual Special Topics are assessed by an external reviewer, the class, and by dp)

Calculation of Group Marks in Categories 1,3,4
In each category, n x 10 points will be assigned in total for each event, where n is the number of groups, and the assessor will distribute the total points between groups according to his or her assessment of their relative performance.

For categories (3) and (4), half of the points will be for "presentation" - this portion of the mark will reflect how thoroughly members in each group have checked submissions for grammar, spelling, & presentation errors.

The average mark for groups will be 80% in each of these categories

For any marking event, the group mark is assigned as (Points for Group/10)*80%.

The maximum number of points assigned will be 12.5 (to give 100% for the event). This means that if there are four groups, the minimum number of points that could be assigned to an individual group would be 2.5

The Individual's Group Mark
Individuals receive the final group mark multiplied by PAF (the Peer Assessment Factor).

PAF is derived as follows. At the final exam, each student assigns n x 10 points to n other members in his or her group, as above. The values are averaged. The "Individualšs Group Mark is then calculated as (Avg. points/10)* Group Mark.

Don't forget that the percentage of your final class mark made up by the Individual's Group Mark is negotiated within the range 10-30%.

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(7). PS/definitions test: This test will include (i) quantitative problems, taken from the Monday class; (ii) defintions/concepts from the Monday class and from documented discussions of the Ecosystem concept.

(8) Attendance:
36 sessions' (12 weeks x MWF). You begin with 36 points; you lose 4 points for each session missed.

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