When allotting ten points do you grade on the curve ?

Question

When I pick a winner I take answers submitted considering what I think is the best answer. I rate it a 5 and give the ten points. I grade the best answer based on answers submitted. The answer may not be the best in scope of the universe it's still the best answer offered and I give it high marks. What do you do ?

Answer 1

I read the first answer and no matter what.....it starts out with the 10 points. I compare it to the second answer. If the first it still best......I eliminate the second and move to the third. If the third answer seems to add a little "umph" that was lacking in the first answer, I drop the first and now carry the third as my winner and move on to the fourth answer. Each answer that I read is held up to the answer I hold in high regard. I just merely move down the line eliminating answers or replacing my winner with a more likely "best answer." Sometimes it can be so hard to do; Subjective answering requires some real soul searching where you have to really think about where the answerer was going. But isn't that a good thing?? It's making us think. But that is how I come up with my best answer choice. Comparing is hard to do. Sometimes I would just love to take the 10 points and divide it up three ways! I wish there was a second best or third at times. But with this system.......we do what we can. How's that? :)

Answer 2

NO. Grading on a curve means distributing the grades according to a bell shaped curve. Simplistically, the number of A's will be the same as the number of F's. The number of B's will be the same as the number of D's. Also, there will be more c's than any other grade and the the number of B's (and D's) will be greater than the number of A's (and F's).

Allotting 10 points is a form of mercy. Sometimes it is justified. For example I have done this if the highest anyone made on a test was a 90. My reasoning is that 10 points worth of questions nobody got, therefore I may not have taught something properly or completely. Or, there may have been other obstacles to making a 100 that neither the students nor I had control over (fire drill, assembly, pep rally, etc.

Answer 3

I think grading on a curve is a ridiculous concept. Education is not a competition. It is about students learning as much about a topic and really understanding it. Each answer should be reviewed individually and given a grade based on the quality of work and the expectations for that assignment; not based on the work of others. If a person's work is poor, it shouldn't be poor compared to others work, it should be poor compared to the rubric that you have established
are you talking about on answers? why would you put this in the education section if that's what you're talking about?

Answer 4

We can only grade the answer based on how we perceived our own question.
I am always amazed at some of the answers and it becomes clear that the answerer perceived my question quite different than what I intended when I asked.

I value well thought out answers, funny ones, etc.
But sometimes, one just screams out at you. It has nothing or very little to do with the question....it is just hilarious and that will sometimes get the points.

Answer 5

Sounds fair to me. I get best answer sometimes when I am the only one with an answer...Go figure. Probably getting the points for at least trying.

Answer 6

i will read through the answers, decide which one will help me the most or the one which fits the subject of the question the best without being a smart a-- toward my question.

i also look to see if i feel honestly is in the answers.