Last updated: May 11, 2006
The CS 481 experience is unlike any other you will receive while completing your CS degree. Since the project you work on will be accomplished in a collaborative team environment, the final grade you receive in the course will take into consideration the overall success of the team effort, the rigor you demonstrated in applying sound software engineering principles, and your contribution to the team. Those that contribute more may receive higher grades, or those that contribute less may receive lower grades.
By it's very nature, grading is largely subjective since there are no numerical grades assigned on individual pieces of work. At times it is difficult for your instructor to know precisely how much each person contributed. However, being subjective does not mean that grade determination is arbitrary or inherently unfair. The way grades are determined is very much like what you will see being used by employers to evaluate the performance of their employees. Information is gathered from a number of sources, pooled, and evaluated.
The University defines the meaning of letter grades in Regulation E-1-a of the Catalog. It is important for you to keep the basic grade definitions in mind. The definitions are: A-superior; B-above average; C-average; D-below average; and F-failure.
At times, individual and team performance are hard to separate. Examples of factors of this nature that are considered when determine grades include:
If the above factors are evident in the project and the project delivers to the customer at least what was promised, then a team member's base grade could be considered to be an A. If the project falls short in some dimension, then the base grade could become a B, or even lower if there's a really serious shortfall in what's delivered. The base grade is used as a starting point and may be adjusted to take into consideration other factors, as demonstrated by individual performance.
Course participation requirements stipulate that at a minimum each student must contribute to the team's effort by:
Failure to adequately meet any of the above participation requirements will automatically result in a grade reduction of at least one letter grade.
Each member of a development team will be required to submit two self and peer evaluations, one just before mid-term and one at the conclusion of the semester. These evaluations provide team members the opportunity to evaluate their own participation in the project as well as the participation and contribution made by their teammates. The evaluations performed by members of the team are confidential. They are considered seriously in determining mid-term and final course grades. Project sponsors are also asked to provide feedback on how the team performed . In addition to this information, observations made by your instructor during the semester which provide indications of individual and team performance are considered.
Your final grade in the course is a based on the blending of information provided by yourself, your peers, the project sponsor, and your course instructor. Your final grade is a measure of how well you executed the development process, your success in functioning as an effective member of the team, the final level of product success and customer satisfaction, peer assessment of your capabilities and contribution, and the instructor's assessment of your capabilities and contribution.
