Evaluating Learning
Class Requirements | Grading | Portfolio Assignment
Attendance is assumed. Students are responsible for lecture materials missed in their absence. Missed exams may be made up only if the instructor has been informed of the absence and found the excuse acceptable on or before the day of the exam. Make-up exams will be taken (regardless of date originally scheduled) during the last week of classes in the Testing Center (lower level, Library). It is necessary to complete all assignments to receive a passing grade in this course.
Mini Exam I - 50 Points
Mini Exam II - 50 Points
Exam III - 80 Points
Final Exam - 100 Points
Portfolio Assignment - 70 Points
Activities (cases/short papers/problems) - 70 Points
Attendance and class participation - 10 Points
Total - 430 Points
Final Grade Determination
90%-100% A
80%-89% B
70%-79% C
60%-69% D
0%-59% F
Final Grades will not be curved. The grade you receive will be the grade you earn.
| Month | Due | Point Value |
| Janyary | 1 Summary | 10[end tr] |
| February | 2 Summaries | 10 each (20)[end tr] |
| March | 2 Summaries | 10 each (20)[end tr] |
| April | 1 Summary | 10 |
| May | Reflective Essay/Completed Portfolio | 10 Points |
Each summary includes a synopsis and critique of a news article (a copy of which is attached to the summary) describing a discovery, advance, therapy, or ethical issue in genetics. The summary should also include a brief discussion of any genetic concepts that you may have learned in class, or found in the text which apply to your selected article.
Summaries should be approximately 2 pages in length.
Completed portfolio includes the following components:
Table of contents
Reflective essay
6 summaries (modified as suggested)
The two page reflective essay serves as an introduction to the summaries in your portfolio. The objective of this essay is to reflect upon how your thinking processes, opinions, reading and writing skills have been impacted by this activity.
Questions you may want to answer in the reflective essay:
How have your thinking/writing/reading skills improved as a result of your work on this project? How might this practice at analyzing/summarizing help you in future course work? How did the subject matter in the course relate to your overall learning and ability to read and analyze your selected articles? How will the advances which you read about impact you, your community, or the human race? Did any of your readings change the way you think about scientific research or discovery?
The complete portfolio should be bound in a three ring binder or other bound format. The completed portfolio is due May 2 at 5:00 PM.
Any source of print or electronic information may serve as a
portfolio article.
Suggested resources: newspapers, magazines, Info trac. Articles
should be relatively recent (written within the last three months).
| Point Value | Rank | Content | Opinion | Connection | Mechanics |
| 10 | Exemplary | Summarizes >90% of content | Expresses logical (supported) opinion regarding article | Incorporates more than once concept from the course | Minimal (3) major grammatical or punctuation errors |
| 7 | Good | Summarizes 70-80% of content | Expresses opinion (not supported) regarding topic | Incorporates one concept from course | >5 grammatical and punctuation errors |
| 4 | Adequate | Summarizes less than 70% of content | No opinion, or unsupported opinion | Does not incorporate course content | >8 grammatical and punctuation errors |
