numbers vs letter grades (2 Viewers)

[selablad]

Do you get *all* your marks back as numbers? I mean like 45/50, etc...because we are not allowed to get any marks back as numbers, everything has to be letter grades...so it's weird seeing all the numbers... Don't know why I created this thread. Oh well. I prefer letter grades anyway, what do you think? Yeah now it's a discussion not just a comment

 

[foram]

Do you get *all* your marks back as numbers? I mean like 45/50, etc...because we are not allowed to get any marks back as numbers, everything has to be letter grades...so it's weird seeing all the numbers... Don't know why I created this thread. Oh well. I prefer letter grades anyway, what do you think? Yeah now it's a discussion not just a comment

Numbers are better because I'll know how well i'm doing and I can compare it to other people. Letter grades are a bit vague, and how do you know which of 2 A's is better? What about math? I wouldn't like to know I got an A in math, I would like to know how many marks I lost. Only english at my school has letter grades, but they also give a number which is rather redundant if you ask me, because each number corresponds to it's own letter grade.

 

[adidasboy]

Numbers are better because I'll know how well i'm doing and I can compare it to other people. Letter grades are a bit vague, and how do you know which of 2 A's is better? What about math? I wouldn't like to know I got an A in math, I would like to know how many marks I lost. Only english at my school has letter grades, but they also give a number which is rather redundant if you ask me, because each number corresponds to it's own letter grade.

I agree.

3/20 always looks better than a massive E. lol

 

[selablad]

Well in my school/Queensland (new syllabus), they mark based on criteria (more talking sciences here) and they mark really hard, like most people get C's...so when you get A's (like me ) then you really did well...and also they have A+, A- etc.

In maths...well they have to have separate criteria for each question, and then they give you an a, b, c or n for the question, in two categories, one for actually getting the question right, eg you get an a if it's right, or a b if it's nearly right etc. The other category is for how well you explained/justified your answer. So you might get your marks back and see

Question 6: a/b and that would mean you got it right but explained badly...

I like that method way more.

and another thing:

HOW DO YOU GET NUMBERS FOR ENGLISH???

 

[Aerath]

Easy, you get 17/20 or something.

I prefer marks. Maybe it's because I'm asian.

 

[champo14]

Numbers win, hands down.

Because that's what they do in the HSC, and that's what you'll be wanting to know how you can get one or two extra marks.

For example, if you got an "A" in English, you wouldn't really think there was anything to improve on, where as your mark could have only been 18/20.

 

[selablad]

But isn't English kind of subjective? How could you get 17/20 for an essay or something? How do you get marks?

Sorry, I'm confused...

 

[adidasboy]

Easy, you get 17/20 or something.

I prefer marks. Maybe it's because I'm asian.

and I tend to get really high marks thus an A plus won't suffice as it could mean I got a 19/20 not 20/20

 

[foram]

Well in my school/Queensland (new syllabus), they mark based on criteria (more talking sciences here) and they mark really hard, like most people get C's...so when you get A's (like me ) then you really did well...and also they have A+, A- etc.

In maths...well they have to have separate criteria for each question, and then they give you an a, b, c or n for the question, in two categories, one for actually getting the question right, eg you get an a if it's right, or a b if it's nearly right etc. The other category is for how well you explained/justified your answer. So you might get your marks back and see

Question 6: a/b and that would mean you got it right but explained badly...

I like that method way more.

and another thing:

HOW DO YOU GET NUMBERS FOR ENGLISH???

The queensland system is weird... I don't get it at all.

The whole thing is out of 15 and they just give me a mark out of that.

15/15 = A+
14/15 = A
13/15 = A-
12/15 = B+
11/15 = B
etc...

 

[champo14]

Well in my school/Queensland (new syllabus), they mark based on criteria (more talking sciences here) and they mark really hard, like most people get C's...so when you get A's (like me ) then you really did well...and also they have A+, A- etc.

In maths...well they have to have separate criteria for each question, and then they give you an a, b, c or n for the question, in two categories, one for actually getting the question right, eg you get an a if it's right, or a b if it's nearly right etc. The other category is for how well you explained/justified your answer. So you might get your marks back and see

Question 6: a/b and that would mean you got it right but explained badly...

I like that method way more.

and another thing:

HOW DO YOU GET NUMBERS FOR ENGLISH???

OK, that comment about Math's just didn't make any sense to me.

If you get it right, you get a mark. If you get it wrong, you don't.


As for English, *maybe* it would be better if there were grades (for extended response, not for short answer) but I think it's better to do marks anyway just so it fits in with all your other "right or wrong" subjects.

 

[selablad]

Numbers win, hands down.

Because that's what they do in the HSC, and that's what you'll be wanting to know how you can get one or two extra marks.

Not in the QCE

For example, if you got an "A" in English, you wouldn't really think there was anything to improve on, where as your mark could have only been 18/20.

So get the teachers to mark harder.
Also if I get an A in English, I want to improve, so I can get an A+ My teachers almost never give out A+s especially in the senior years...

 

[selablad]

OK, that comment about Math's just didn't make any sense to me.

If you get it right, you get a mark. If you get it wrong, you don't.

But surely you should get more marks if you have a beautiful, elegant proof than if you have random stuff all over the page, but the right answer in the end?

elegant not meaning neat, just well explained and logical, and not overly complicated

 

[champo14]

Not in the QCE


So get the teachers to mark harder.
Also if I get an A in English, I want to improve, so I can get an A+ My teachers almost never give out A+s especially in the senior years...

Well, you are in the HSC forum.

As for your crazy QCE, I'm not sure how that works, but you're saying it's not based on marks at all?

Another thing, numbers and marks are easier to translate into statistical data, which is done when calculating UAIs and stuff. (Again, not sure about this Queensland crazyness.)

 

[champo14]

But surely you should get more marks if you have a beautiful, elegant proof than if you have random stuff all over the page, but the right answer in the end?

elegant not meaning neat, just well explained and logical, and not overly complicated

It depends. If the question says "show all working" then you have to show your working. If you don't then you're just not doing what was asked.

But if the question doesn't ask for it and you give the correct answer, why shouldn't you get full marks? It's maths, not English, remember. They don't want an essay.

 

[foram]

But surely you should get more marks if you have a beautiful, elegant proof than if you have random stuff all over the page, but the right answer in the end?

elegant not meaning neat, just well explained and logical, and not overly complicated

Elegant is subjective.

As long as the working out is legible, and it leads to the correct answer without any fallacies, then it get full marks.

 

[selablad]

Well, you are in the HSC forum.

Sorry

The QCE is not crazy, just new and I don't know all that much about it - but there aren't any final state exams (like HSC exams) so it's all internal assessment, but most of the internal assessment is done by letter grades now, excepting simple things like the multiple choice sections of maths exams...but I mean, they aren't allowed to have multiple choice on science exams...etc.

As long as the working out is legible, and it leads to the correct answer without any fallacies, then it get full marks.

But communication is a pretty important part of maths, so you should get marks for it, like we have criteria for communication and justification

 

[champo14]

Heh, imagine if they did letter grades for multiple choice.

"You got an E, because you chose B and the answer was A"

That would be confusing. Or

"You got a B, because you chose B when the answer was A, so you were *nearly* right"

 

[selablad]

lol

 

[bored of sc]

yeah, letters only do so much - more like a spinnit of your progress - numbers are very important as different marks correspond to different levels of the letter grades (A+, B- etc)...

Ranks are also important.

 

[selablad]

Meh, I like my letter grades

Our school never tells us our ranks, although sometimes a teacher lets it slip to a student that they topped the grade, etc. Or you work it out eg by getting full marks. How do you know your name, do they post them up or something? Or tell you?