--- tags: mth225, 225-spr22 --- # Information on MTH 225 Final Exam ## Summary - The final exam for our class will be held on **Tuesday, June 21 from 1:00-2:30pm**. - It will be done synchronously online. Basically it's a normal class meeting during which you'll complete the exam. Some portions will be assigned ahead of time so you can complete those before June 21. - The exam will consist of **three parts**: - Part 1 will be a collection of questions asking for written responses, focused on what you've learned in the course, why it matters, and what you plan to do with it. - Part 2 will be a brief re-assessment of the **Core** Learning Targets. - Part 3 is *optional* and will consist of one final round of Learning Target quiz problems on all 21 Learning Targets in case you need an additional attempt. ## Purpose and logistics We'll have a final exam for this class, whose purpose is twofold. First, the exam will allow reassessment on selected important math topics from the course. Second, the exam will give you the opportunity to reflect on your experience, pull together various threads of ideas from different parts of the course, and provide me with critical feedback on how it all went. The final exam is *not* a "comprehensive" exam over mathematical computations. By that point in the class, you will have done so many iterations of quiz problems and AEP work that this kind of exam is mostly unnecessary. Instead, the exam is about the "big picture", and providing one additional layer of assessment on the **Core** Learning Targets. The exam will be held **synchronously online** on **Tuesday June 21** from **1:00-2:30pm ET**. This is our normal class meeting time, and you should think of it like a regular class meeting that is focused on one thing --- completing the exam. ## Composition of the exam The exam will have three parts: - **Part 1** will consist of some open-ended questions asking for a substantive written reply, focused on "big picture" style questions about what you learned in the course, where a certain topic might be applied in a real-world setting, how you have grown as a learner through the course, and so on. These require no mathematical computation or preparation. **Part 1 will be assigned on Tuesday, June 17** so you can work on it through the week and just turn it in on June 21. - **Part 2** will consist of a few mathematical questions on the **Core** Learning Targets (refer to the syllabus for those). These won't be exactly the same thing as the Learning Target quiz questions, but similar. (For example there may be multiple-choice questions or simple application problems.) - **Part 3** is *optional* and will be one final round of Learning Target quiz questions on all 21 Learning Targets. This is for anyone who by that point in the course needs or wants one last chance at any of the Learning Targets. **All students** will complete Parts 1 and 2, with Part 1 being done during the week before the exam and Part 2 being done at the exam. **Only students who need/want an additional attempt on a Learning Target** need to engage with Part 3. ## How the exam will be graded The main exam (Parts 1 and 2) will be worth **70 points** divided between the two parts. The exact point value of each part will be determined later, but it will be something like 30 points in part 1 and 40 in part 2. - **Part 1** will be graded on the basis of completeness, effort, and whether you meet basic quality standards for your written responses. The latter includes things like whether the responses are typed, whether essential grammar and spelling rules are followed, and whether your responses go into sufficient depth. Specifications for Part 1 will be given when Part 1 is posted. - **Part 2** will be graded on the basis of completeness, effort, and mathematical correctness. Objective items like multiple choice questions will be graded on correctness only. Part 3, being just another round of Learning Target quizzes, will be graded the same way as all other Learning Target quizzes. ## How the exam figures into your course grade This is explained in [the syllabus section on "Earning a Course Grade"](https://hackmd.io/TchC8fZORJ29EgxQb1O4lQ#Earning-a-Course-Grade): * A score of at least 42/70 (60%) is needed for an "A" in the course * A score of at least 35/70 (50%) is needed for a "B" in the course * A score of at least 28/70 (40%) is needed for a "C" in the course * A score of at least 21/70 (30%) is needed for a "D" in the course *Aside:* These values should help you relax a little about the final exam. You can make lots of mistakes here and it will not have massive impact on your grade. In fact, remember that around 30 points will be allocated to Part 1, and if you submit complete, good-faith efforts on all of Part 1, you are basically guaranteed all of those points, and this will put you in the "C" range even if you do nothing on Part 2. So, **relax**. Part 3, again, is just a final round of Learning Target quizzes for those who need it. There are no point values on these, and they do not figure into the final grade except to help you complete Learning Targets. ## Questions? [Email them to me.](mailto:talbertr@gvsu.edu)