How Can I Get Feedback on My Work?

• We will attempt to give you some feedback on all assignment and papers, but the volume required and the need to return them as soon as possible will set limits on this.

 

• All students are strongly encouraged to come in and discuss their assignments and papers with me or their A.I., whenever the feedback is not completely. We will be able to augment the written comments and define more clearly how to optimally approach the task. In these discussions the issue of changing the grade cannot be discussed. (See below.) We will also be happy to respond to questions on e-mail, although if the answer is complex, we might suggest that you come in and discuss the matter in person.

 

• Students who feel that something has been overlooked in grading or that there was another legitimate way to answer the question are strongly encouraged to present their arguments in writing, making reference to the definition of the question and the grading rubric. I and the A.I.s will read your arguments with great care and go back over the original paper line by line. We will set aside the original grade completely and read the work with fresh eyes, looking for things that we might have missed or misunderstood. Whenever a convincing case has been made, we will change the grade upward. (We will not ever move the grade down.) In the past this procedure has allowed students to make their case much more effectively and with much less potential for unproductive interactions than other approaches.