How Grades Work in This Class
I often get the question, “How am I doing in this class? What grade do I have right now?” I have a very straight-forward method of grading! All assignments are point-based, as is the course. And I promise it’s very simple math!
There are two assignment “policies” that I stick to in this class, and they aren’t complicated:
- I want to see your work! Not Google’s work, not the work of a chatbot or any other AI generated work. I don’t expect any sort of perfection in this class. When I assign a question or prompt, it’s because I want to know how you used your critical thinking skills and came to the answers that you came to. I want to know if you’re confused! I want to know what really resonates with you! So please do your own work.
- Get your work in on time! Our semester is only 12 weeks, and it goes fast! If you fall behind, you may get to a point where it will be too difficult to catch up. I will accept work up to 2 weeks late work for partial (70%) credit, but I won’t be able to accept any late work after June 1. Please keep this in mind as you budget your time!
Learning Outcomes for MUS 27:
- World Music Terminology: Identify and apply the fundamental terms and concepts of world music, both generally and in relationship to specific cultures, countries, and instruments (i.e. culturally specific instruments such as the kora, didgeridoo, sitar, bodhràn, and taiko drums, as well as techniques such as throat singing and microtonal scales)
- Music, History & World Cultures: Analyze and assess music as an artform that reflects human experiences across global cultures, both currently and within significant historical periods.
- Musical Evolution in Society: Evaluate and articulate, both verbally and in writing, how music has changed and developed over time in order to create meaning and foster discussion, debate, and community within a given culture.
- Music-Making Across the Globe: Identify, analyze, and define the considerations and skills specific to a given culture’s music-making practices, and how they are similar and/or different to those of another culture (i.e. various non-western tonalities and modes, improvisational techniques, complex rhythmic patterns and absence of the more constricting forms that can be found in western art music)
- Critical Listening: Examine and compare the major characteristics of music compositions that are representative of distinct genres and cultures through the engagement with numerous music-listening experiences.
How do I earn points in this class?
Here are all of the ways to get points in this class (this is subject to very slight changes, but all will be announced)!
- 2 quizzes @ 50 points each = 100 points
- weekly(ish) Discussion Board Posts @ 15 points each = 150 points
- bi-weekly (ish) Listen & Respond “journals” @ 25 points each = 150 points
- in-class group assignments @ 50 points each = 300 points
- in-class discussions @15 points each = 150 points
- Final group project @ 150 points
- Total points: 1000 points
Tracking Your Progress
Once per week, you should check your grade. To do so, click on See My Grades in our course navigation menu. You’ll see a list of completed, not completed, and graded assignments. I generally leave comments with each graded assignment, so be sure to check those!
A quick way to track your grades: Add up the total number of points you currently have with graded work (let’s called that “g” for graded), then add up the total number of points that were possible from those same assignments (let’s called that “t” for total points possible). Divide “g” by “t” (g/t = percentage), and the percentage you get will give you an idea of where you are. Please email me with any questions!
- A+ = 98 – 100 %
- A = 93 – 97%
- A- = 90 – 92%
- B+ = 88 – 89%
- B = 83 – 87%
- B- = 80 – 82 %
- C+ = 78 – 79%
- C = 73 – 77%
- C- = 70 – 72%
- D+ = 68 – 69%
- D = 64 – 67 %
- F = 63% and below
(So for example, if a student earns 850 points out of a possible 1000, I would divide 850 by 1000, which would equal 85%. That would equate to a final grade of a B.)
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