Random thoughts thread

[ichitaka05]

FML... E&S came out rejected. They got me on high flow cat & UEL header. All these yrs I had, they gotta bust me this yr. make thing worse, now I gotta sort it w state emission... seriously FML

[Calum]

Originally Posted by Dimman

This system seems retarded to me.

Why only measure against current, local peers?

What's the alternative, though? Measure against a standard, right? Who's standard? How do you ensure the standard is interpreted correctly?

My wife has a masters in education and this is a topic we're both very passionate about.

Standardized testing has been proven time and time again to not work. A VERY basic example; a test was created for elementary students and administered across Canada. One of the questions was, "where is the sofa in your house?" If they answered the living room they got it right. But it's fairly common in Newfoundland to have a sofa in the dining room, it's a cultural difference, so those students almost all got the question wrong.

Standardized test can work better in purely math classes but as soon as you put words into the question you start testing if the student understands the wording in the same maner as the author of the test. If you set a standard that everyone must attain some profs will read the standard in one way and others in another.

I experienced this the last time I was in school, about 18 months ago. There were three classes all doing the same material, but with different teachers. When we compared notes the differences in the covered material was vastly different but all of the instructors reported to the same person and were able to justify that they were following the curriculum. Literally no one in the other classes were able to answer the questions on my classes testes and only the top two or three from my class could answer the questions on the others tests.

/rant

[Calum]

Originally Posted by Calum

What's the alternative, though? Measure against a standard, right? Who's standard? How do you ensure the standard is interpreted correctly?

My wife has a masters in education and this is a topic we're both very passionate about.

Standardized testing has been proven time and time again to not work. A VERY basic example; a test was created for elementary students and administered across Canada. One of the questions was, "where is the sofa in your house?" If they answered the living room they got it right. But it's fairly common in Newfoundland to have a sofa in the dining room, it's a cultural difference, so those students almost all got the question wrong.

Standardized test can work better in purely math classes but as soon as you put words into the question you start testing if the student understands the wording in the same maner as the author of the test. If you set a standard that everyone must attain some profs will read the standard in one way and others in another.

I experienced this the last time I was in school, about 18 months ago. There were three classes all doing the same material, but with different teachers. When we compared notes the differences in the covered material was vastly different but all of the instructors reported to the same person and were able to justify that they were following the curriculum. Literally no one in the other classes were able to answer the questions on my classes testes and only the top two or three from my class could answer the questions on the others tests.

/rant

I'm not saying the other way isn't flawed, just that the alternative isn't any better. And it removes the competitiveness from the business of university.

[Dimman]

Originally Posted by Calum

I'm not saying the other way isn't flawed, just that the alternative isn't any better. And it removes the competitiveness from the business of university.

I negatively experienced that competitiveness in my trades training (ELTT / pre-apprenticeship ). BCIT has a far better reputation than my Northern BC college. My course was combined Millwright and Machinist which included 3 weeks of gas and stick welding. In the same timeframe we complete the same number of required shop projects as BOTH the BCIT programs. We also write an exam that has to cover the same minimums for EACH trade. The pass minimum is 70% throughout the province. I was second highest in my class and a couple guys failed. My marks were just a bit below BCIT class' average. BECAUSE THEY GOT TO WRITE THEIR EXAMS (WITH HALF THE SUBJECTS) OPEN FUCKING BOOK! Would look bad if us dumb rednecks consistently outperformed Vancouver's finest...

(That's a rant.... )

[serialk11r]

It's not entirely true that you're always measured against your peers. Plenty of professors grade according to what they think deserves whatever grade. One professor I had gave no one a solid A because he didn't think anyone deserved it, and he failed half the class. Another gives half the class As even though his tests and stuff are really easy, because he wants to be nice and give as many As as possible.

For very large classes typically they more or less decide the grading beforehand.

[Want.FR-S]

Originally Posted by Dimman

I negatively experienced that competitiveness in my trades training (ELTT / pre-apprenticeship ). BCIT has a far better reputation than my Northern BC college. My course was combined Millwright and Machinist which included 3 weeks of gas and stick welding. In the same timeframe we complete the same number of required shop projects as BOTH the BCIT programs. We also write an exam that has to cover the same minimums for EACH trade. The pass minimum is 70% throughout the province. I was second highest in my class and a couple guys failed. My marks were just a bit below BCIT class' average. BECAUSE THEY GOT TO WRITE THEIR EXAMS (WITH HALF THE SUBJECTS) OPEN FUCKING BOOK! Would look bad if us dumb rednecks consistently outperformed Vancouver's finest...

(That's a rant.... )

Oh, I hear you. Sometimes the reputation of school outweighs how the marks are produced, especially when you are applying for higher education.

I remember in my community college in one class I was god-sent, completing every questions correctly, including bonus questions and whatnot, and leave the exam early. At the end, my teacher refused to give me 100 mark because even though I should get it, but he thinks I am just ok comparing with students from another college (so-called best in province). Oh well, I don't care for that one extra mark, and I was able to beat the students from so-called best college from the province in university. LOL.

Originally Posted by serialk11r

It's not entirely true that you're always measured against your peers. Plenty of professors grade according to what they think deserves whatever grade. One professor I had gave no one a solid A because he didn't think anyone deserved it, and he failed half the class. Another gives half the class As even though his tests and stuff are really easy, because he wants to be nice and give as many As as possible.

For very large classes typically they more or less decide the grading beforehand.

You are still in freshmen year. When you go into graduate class, or senior undergraduate classes, you can observe whether this statement is true or not.

And I salute to the prof who gave no A if because no one deserve it. To me, getting a Grade A does not mean you are top of your class, your should be at the top of the students who study the same subject.

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by Want.FR-S

You are still in freshmen year. When you go into graduate class, or senior undergraduate classes, you can observe whether this statement is true or not.

And I salute to the prof who gave no A if because no one deserve it. To me, getting a Grade A does not mean you are top of your class, your should be at the top of the students who study the same subject.

lol no, first of all I'm a sophmore, and second of all the only classes I've taken are upper level and graduate classes (working on my 9th math class so far btw). I am not this guy:
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/35566l/

In graduate classes actually what happens is that for lower level graduate classes that many undergrads take, the professor gives what they think is appropriate for grades, and then for higher level graduate classes they just don't really care about grading and give an A to most people, and Bs for people who do badly.

I also salute that professor, even if I'm not happy with my GPA being negatively affected. I definitely didn't deserve an A, seeing how I didn't know some basic definitions by the end of the class.

[Guff]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

FML... E&S came out rejected. They got me on high flow cat & UEL header. All these yrs I had, they gotta bust me this yr. make thing worse, now I gotta sort it w state emission... seriously FML

Ichi, your car is too badass for the state. They just jealous of your mad Subie powaaaaa!!



In other news, I'm sleepy as hell. Chilling in the library with some friends doing Calc homework though...

[Allch Chcar]

Originally Posted by serialk11r

lol no, first of all I'm a sophmore, and second of all the only classes I've taken are upper level and graduate classes (working on my 9th math class so far btw). I am not this guy:
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/35566l/

Hah. I remember how the end of spring semester you came here talking about how bad the cafeteria food is after consuming stupid massive quantities to use up the last of your food points.

Dimman thought you were preparing for summer hybernation or something.

[Want.FR-S]

Originally Posted by serialk11r

lol no, first of all I'm a sophmore, and second of all the only classes I've taken are upper level and graduate classes (working on my 9th math class so far btw). I am not this guy:
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/35566l/

In graduate classes actually what happens is that for lower level graduate classes that many undergrads take, the professor gives what they think is appropriate for grades, and then for higher level graduate classes they just don't really care about grading and give an A to most people, and Bs for people who do badly.

TBH, I really never figured out the term freshmen, sophomore, and seniors or whatnot whether in high school nor in university. You are in second year I know, but to me that is still fresh.

You just said what I was going to say. In the more senior classes people get A's not because they are really good in that class, but they are better than their peers at that time.

[Nevermore]

Pretty sure all my coworkers are tired of me talking about the FR-S...

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by Want.FR-S

TBH, I really never figured out the term freshmen, sophomore, and seniors or whatnot whether in high school nor in university. You are in second year I know, but to me that is still fresh.

You just said what I was going to say. In the more senior classes people get A's not because they are really good in that class, but they are better than their peers at that time.

No, that's not what I'm saying, I'm saying advanced graduate classes are basically everyone gets an A, except people who really suck. Typically people enrolled in said classes are competent. Otherwise, the professor gives whatever grades they think are appropriate.


@Dimman dude, flying buttress C pillars are WAY too hard to fabricate correctly. I sketched some up and tried imagining every possible way to create them, there's pretty much no way to avoid either having to do multiple large pieces that fit together perfectly (never gonna happen) or carefully sanding down over 50% of the material out of a giant block of foam or something. Simply making a shell and cutting holes into it negates most of the potential.
This fabrication business is too tricky...I think I'll stick to primitive bending flat sheets. Actually cutting holes into stuff doesn't look so bad if you cut a pretty shape, maybe I should do that

On that note, thinking about car shit is eating too much time, I need to stop.

[Snoopyalien24]

I studied so much for my Mid-terms, I did all 101 questions in 20 minutes....

I need to get a life

[travace]

anal