Blind Grading Forum

[Renne Walker]

Blind grading. My understanding is that the prof grades each exam and then at some point he/she turns the exam papers over to an independent source? That is my perception. Is this anywhere close to reality?

Or does the prof grade the exam and immediately note the student’s name after issuing the grade, or . . .

[3|ink]

Blind grading. My understanding is that the prof grades each exam and then at some point he/she turns the exam papers over to an independent source? That is my perception. Is this anywhere close to reality?

Or does the prof grade the exam and immediately note the student’s name after issuing the grade, or . . .

What?

All the professor sees is your exam ID number. He grades your exams and turns them over to the school admins. The admins match-up the grade with your exam ID.

[shock259]

At my school, it means that the prof just sees an exam number when he is grading. He gives it a grade. Then he goes back and matches it up to the student. He then has the option of slightly raising or slightly lowering it in some classes for "participation." After that, hesubmits everyone's grades to the registrar. The registrar then has to approve of the curve he used.

[Renne Walker]

At my school, it means that the prof just sees an exam number when he is grading. He gives it a grade. Then he goes back and matches it up to the student. He then has the option of slightly raising or slightly lowering it in some classes for "participation." After that, hesubmits everyone's grades to the registrar. The registrar then has to approve of the curve he used.

So much for the myth that being active in class has no bearing on your grade. Now I wish I had listened to the advice someone offered me. . . .raise your hand and never take it down!

[Renzo]

At my school, it means that the prof just sees an exam number when he is grading. He gives it a grade. Then he goes back and matches it up to the student. He then has the option of slightly raising or slightly lowering it in some classes for "participation." After that, hesubmits everyone's grades to the registrar. The registrar then has to approve of the curve he used.

So much for the myth that being active in class has no bearing on your grade. Now I wish I had listened to the advice someone offered me. . . .raise your hand and never take it down!

This is still largely no myth. Most law professors can barely be bothered to grade the exams, let alone put in the extra effort to learn names, take note of meaningful participation, and make according adjustments.

[Renne Walker]

This is still largely no myth. Most law professors can barely be bothered to grade the exams, let alone put in the extra effort to learn names, take note of meaningful participation, and make according adjustments.

Hope you are right. I rarely/never hang around after class and hover around the prof. No drop-byes to the prof office with cupcakes and chitchat. All because the myth was, come exam time it does not help. Apparently, that may not always be the case.

[Paichka]

This is still largely no myth. Most law professors can barely be bothered to grade the exams, let alone put in the extra effort to learn names, take note of meaningful participation, and make according adjustments.

Hope you are right. I rarely/never hang around after class and hover around the prof. No drop-byes to the prof office with cupcakes and chitchat. All because the myth was, come exam time it does not help. Apparently, that may not always be the case.

I never went to office hours or anything, but a couple of my professors had class participation bump policies. What they generally meant was that when it came time for you to get called on, you did a pretty good job with it, not that you dislocated your arm waving your hand around nonstop. A couple of my professors also took volunteers for in-class exercises (we did a fake jury selection in crim pro, etc), and you got extra credit for that. I tried really hard not to raise my hand too often (unless there was an uncomfortable silence AND I had a reasonably useful way to fill it), but the class participation bump doesn't mean you have to be an obnoxious gunner to take advantage of it.

In my experience, anyway. And who knows, maybe I WAS an obnoxious gunner, regardless of my intention. :p

[goosey]

for us it means the prof sees the exam id, fills in the grades, sends it to the registrar. the registrar matches the id's to the name, then sends a grade report back to the professor so the professor can adjust grades up or down by .33 if they so desire. I dont know if any professor ever does this. One of my professors said he doesnt look at the grade report once it comes back to him and just re-submits it bc he doesnt want us to feel like [when we see him around, or if we take another class w him] we are some kind of letter and being judged. So he doesnt know what our grades are.

[shock259]

I honestly think my professors just put it in there so they can trick some people into reading/being more prepared. I can say that I flubbed a couple of times I was called on in 2 different classes and I still booked the classes. For the two classes I thought I did better in class participation, I got A-'s. I am convinced that as long as you don't do horrible things to stand out to the professor, it won't be factored in at all (even if the professor says it will be 20% of your grade). Just don't talk back to the professor, insult other students, consistently show up and "pass" when called on, and you'll probably be fine.

[Renne Walker]

. . . the professor can adjust grades up or down by .33 if they so desire. .

Given the curve, if a prof is bumping someone .33, to me, that means someone is going down .33. Whether or not that is significant, i.e, going from an A- to a B+, I can only wonder.

IMHO, I was always prepared for cold calls, and I think I always came through in fine shape, even when the call lasted a half an hour. Hopefully, that may have helped. I have to say, now that I understand that “blind grading” comes with caveats, yeah, I may become more interactive during 2L.

[rayiner]

Our professor's have a lot of discretion with grades. I don't think they play with grades except for the most egregious circumstances. I have gotten A/A+ in classes where I literally didn't show up half the time. And not like ~100 person classes where it wouldn't be noticed, like in ~20-30 person classes.

[canesfan1986]

FWIW, I got an A- in Torts last semester and the professor told me I was bumped up from a B because my class participation was excellent, so I'm glad I did. Basically, it can't really hurt you at all, so why no try just in case it helps your grade?

[MrPapagiorgio]

FWIW, I got an A- in Torts last semester and the professor told me I was bumped up from a B because my class participation was excellent, so I'm glad I did. Basically, it can't really hurt you at all, so why no try just in case it helps your grade?

I'm happy for you, but going up from a 3.0 to a 3.7 for "excellent class participation" is a little ridiculous (on the professor's part).

[2transferornot]

I'm a little confused about when the curve rule applies. When the profs turn the grades in with anonymous IDs I expect they should conform to the curve requirements. When they get the names and bump a couple of students up, do they still have to conform? I guess not, because I don't think they are going to push anyone below what they deserve from the exam score.

[canesfan1986]

FWIW, I got an A- in Torts last semester and the professor told me I was bumped up from a B because my class participation was excellent, so I'm glad I did. Basically, it can't really hurt you at all, so why no try just in case it helps your grade?

I'm happy for you, but going up from a 3.0 to a 3.7 for "excellent class participation" is a little ridiculous (on the professor's part).

Understandably, but I actually tried in class while most people didn't. His multiple choice test was crazy hard. I was the only one he did it for, though. He hardly ever has done that, but he felt I deserved an A- as opposed to a B+ based on what I said in class. All I know is it paid off, and everyone was well aware of the policy, as it was in his syllabus; I just took advantage of what I saw as an easy way to boost my grade.

[gdane]

At my school the professors grade blindly. They then turn these grades to the registrar. The registrar then returns the grades to the professors, but with the actual students names instead of their anonymous ID's. The professor can then bump up or down.

[Renne Walker]

FWIW, I got an A- in Torts last semester and the professor told me I was bumped up from a B because my class participation was excellent, so I'm glad I did. Basically, it can't really hurt you at all, so why no try just in case it helps your grade?

To me, going from a (suicidal) “B” to an (break out the bubbly) “A-” is huge. Where was this thread when I first stepped into 1L?

[canesfan1986]

FWIW, I got an A- in Torts last semester and the professor told me I was bumped up from a B because my class participation was excellent, so I'm glad I did. Basically, it can't really hurt you at all, so why no try just in case it helps your grade?

To me, going from a (suicidal) “B” to an (break out the bubbly) “A-” is huge. Where was this thread when I first stepped into 1L?

Idk. I just felt that the professors probably were not lying about the grade bump, so I listened to them and participated. It's potentially good and causes zero harm. Why not?

[CanadianWolf]

I'm surprised that a law prof was allowed to raise one's grade from a "B" to an "A-". This large of a grade increase defeats the purpose of blind grading. Usually class participation grade bumps are limited to half-a-grade (e.g., from a "B" to a "B+").

[canesfan1986]

I'm surprised that a law prof was allowed to raise one's grade from a "B" to an "A-". This large of a grade increase defeats the purpose of blind grading. Usually class participation grade bumps are limited to half-a-grade (e.g., from a "B" to a "B+").

Like I said, they normally are, even in his class. I was the only one he did that for. I really tried because I figured 2/3 would make a huge difference. It did.

[rayiner]

FWIW, I got an A- in Torts last semester and the professor told me I was bumped up from a B because my class participation was excellent, so I'm glad I did. Basically, it can't really hurt you at all, so why no try just in case it helps your grade?

To me, going from a (suicidal) “B” to an (break out the bubbly) “A-” is huge. Where was this thread when I first stepped into 1L?

You're dramatically over-valuing this anecdotal evidence.

[gdane]

I'm surprised that a law prof was allowed to raise one's grade from a "B" to an "A-". This large of a grade increase defeats the purpose of blind grading. Usually class participation grade bumps are limited to half-a-grade (e.g., from a "B" to a "B+").

Tenured professors apparently have a lot of leeway to do stuff like this. My contracts professor flat out told us that sometimes he does not follow the school curve because he's tenured and "he can do whatever the fuck he wants." LOL. No joke he said that.

[ajr]

FWIW, I got an A- in Torts last semester and the professor told me I was bumped up from a B because my class participation was excellent, so I'm glad I did. Basically, it can't really hurt you at all, so why no try just in case it helps your grade?

I'm happy for you, but going up from a 3.0 to a 3.7 for "excellent class participation" is a little ridiculous (on the professor's part).

Understandably, but I actually tried in class while most people didn't. His multiple choice test was crazy hard. I was the only one he did it for, though. He hardly ever has done that, but he felt I deserved an A- as opposed to a B+ based on what I said in class. All I know is it paid off, and everyone was well aware of the policy, as it was in his syllabus; I just took advantage of what I saw as an easy way to boost my grade.

Everyone is happily missing that canesfan sneakily edited his/ her grade change? If B+ to A- the story is a lot more believable.

[chasgoose]

FWIW, I got an A- in Torts last semester and the professor told me I was bumped up from a B because my class participation was excellent, so I'm glad I did. Basically, it can't really hurt you at all, so why no try just in case it helps your grade?

To me, going from a (suicidal) “B” to an (break out the bubbly) “A-” is huge. Where was this thread when I first stepped into 1L?

You're dramatically over-valuing this anecdotal evidence.

Yeah for every one of those stories, I have a professor saying "I'm surprised you only got a B on the exam because you were so great in class, I really wanted to bump you up, but there wasn't any room on the curve."

[Renne Walker]

You're dramatically over-valuing this anecdotal evidence.

Perhaps, but apparently “Blind Grading” isn’t exactly as advertised. I was advised countless times that class participation had zero effect on exam grades. To me Zero is “0.”