Student "edition" found at {csi dot journalspace dot com}.

Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

In the most recent class of my general science requirement mechanics lecture class, I finally gave them the result of their third exam, which had disappointing results.

Even the typically highest grading student had a score of 76 out of a hundred.

Everyone else had a score that was less than fifty points, although I did believe the problems I gave them were in the same line as the examples without being exactly alike.

So I discussed the solutions with them in depth, and apologized to them that I could not give them “booster” problem sets for this one, but would have to include the topic again in their fourth exam before the finals two weeks from now.

I also broke my rule for once and gave them their papers back before starting the discussion, although as expected there was still some distraction where the students were talking to their classmates about their low scores.

Would it have been better if I had discussed the solutions first, while everyone knew the test papers were just on my desk? Would they have been more distracted then, or less so?

Would it have fed their illogical hopes up seeing the answers on the board and praying I would have given them partial points, even though their answers were not what I got?

In that respect, it was better for them to get the bad news up front, and up to them to decide if they were going to pay attention more to find out how to solve the same problems.

Besides, there were some students who got the right answers who participated in the discussion more than they would have on any other days.

And like before, instead of giving them an exercise afterwards, I just asked them to get their average of the three exams and write it in their exercise notebook as their attendance for the day, just to see that they are aware of their standing.

They are then also able to determine for themselves if they still have a chance of passing in the subject after such dismal performance in the exams, and what they need to get in the last exam and in the finals to ensure not failing.

Session 1567 believes there is still a chance of getting the lowest passing grade in the class, even though there were no passing scores in the exams. Class dismissed.