ACC 7440 Points

ACC 7440
Task Points

Calculated Grade. The final calculated grade in this course is based on the students earned points as a percentage of all available points.The student's earned points are the numerator. All possible points are added up during semester, and the total possible serve as the denominator. The result of the ratio of earned points to total points is the percentage that is used to calculate the student's letter grade in this course. If, for example, a student earns 85 percent of all available points, the student will have earned a "B" in this course.
Task Points. The student's earned task points (plus a maximum 20 "extra" or "slack" points) comprise a percent of the student's grade. The tentative allocation of points for these tasks (subject to some slight modification during the semester) is shown below:

Task Point Calculation Method Approx.
Total

Baseline Quiz on Blackboard Twenty if taken during the first week of the course. All quizzes are graded on Blackboard, but the points on the Baseline Quiz will be adjusted (at the end of the semester†) to 20 points if it is completed during the first week of the course (prior to the Unit One due date and time). No opportunity will be provided for students to take the Baseline Quiz after the first week of the course. The Baseline Quiz allows Prof. Spalding to "take the temperature" of the students in this class, that is, to ascertain their level of familiarity with the types of issues addressed in this course as they begin this course. 20

Other Email Assignments† Five points each for timely and complete submission of the First Email Assignment during the first week of the course; and, five points for timely selecting the written Part Three of the final exam or, alternatively, scheduling an online interview. 10

Digital DropBox Assignments Five points each for timely and complete submission of the eight Digital DropBox Assignments (scanned student id, proposed research questions in proper format, interviewee information, advance notice of research presentation, bibliography in proper format, early draft of last five paragraphs of research paper, and research presentation handout) in accordance with the instructions and as scheduled in the syllabus. 30

Blackboard Quizzes # 1 through # 6
Ten to twenty points maximum each if completed on time. All quizzes are automatically graded on Blackboard upon submission. Copies of quizzes are not available during the course or at any other time. If you want a copy of a quiz, you must, prior to hitting the button, follow the instructions on the Quizzes page. 120

Surveys
Points are awarded for complete and thoughtful answers. 10

Regular Discussion Board Assignments† 50 points maximum. This amounts to approximately five maximum task points per assignment for thoughtful, informed, substantive and significant comments added to the Discussion Board on Blackboard in response to each discussion board assignment (including both initial responses and thoughtful, substantive replies to the postings of other students). At the end of the semester, postings will be graded as a whole, with an average of 5 points per assignment for superior work, an average of 3 points for satisfactory work, and an average of 1 for poor work. Zero points are allowed for no posting, or for a late posting. Postings that essentially amount to little more than "Good job" or "I agree" or "Good luck with that" do not count. Only postings that move the thinking forward, count. The discussions pertaining to the Ethical Analysis and the Argumentative Essay are graded separately from these regular Discussion Board points and are not included in the maximum 50 points here. 50

Presentation of Research† Forty points maximum for quality of presentation, including handout, whether in-person or via online video. Twenty-five of these forty points pertain to thoughtfulness, analysis of ethical issues, quality of argumentation (e.g., properly warranted ethical claim), and scholarly content. Fifteen of these forty points pertain to professionalism of presentation, including articulation, camera interaction (look at the camera; don't read your presentation; the camera should be at or slightly above eye level so that you are not "looking down" at the camera), setting (good lighting makes a difference, as does the setting: presentations from bedrooms, kitchens and cars don't come off as professional as presentations from an office or similar type of environment), rhetorical quality, professional appearance (pajamas and athletic clothing are not recommended), demeanor, clarity and following instructions. However, due to the extra work required to produce and upload a video presentation (as compared to simply showing up to present in person), students who instead produce and upload their presentations by the deadline can also earn up to five (5) points extra credit. 40
(+5)

"Slack"† Every student who completes this course receives the full 30 slack points in the numerator of their calculated grade, but these 20 slack points are not added to the denominator. Slack points and extra credit points are included in the numerator, but not in the denominator, when calculating the percentage of points earned by the student. These slack points are designed to cover such contingencies and difficulties as: problem(s) with Blackboard, late registration, athletics, missed class, stolen purse or backpack, not understanding the Wayne State University academic calendar or the due dates in the syllabus, confusion about time zones, attendance at funeral, standing up in a wedding, missed quiz, student visa delay, computer problem, missed homework, snow, financial difficulty in purchasing the textbook, car accident, hospitalization, air travel problem, jury duty, forgotten deadline, promotion at work, cross-border delay, death in the family, broken bone, inadvertent submitting of an incomplete quiz or exam due to "panic" or any other reason, sports team obligations, ski accident, canceled babysitter, power outage, difficulty in learning how to take an online course, conflict with work, forgot to complete all exam questions, accidentally entered a wrong choice on a multiple choice quiz or exam, accidentally submitted the wrong answer to an essay question on an exam, sudden illness, pet emergency, etc. etc. These slack points also make it unnecessary to come up with excuses. (+20)

Approximate Total Task Points other than exams and research paper, and not including slack points and extra credit points (in parentheses above).
280

Academic Integrity. Strict compliance with the Wayne State University Academic Integrity policies and the Student Code of Conduct are required in this course. Any cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, or other academic dishonesty will result in an automatic grade of E for this entire course, irrespective of the specific context or assessment involved (quiz, homework, exam, etc.). In addition, charges will be filed with the Judicial Officer of the Dean of Students Office. For more information, see the Student Code of Conduct brochure. There is zero tolerance of academic dishonesty in this course.
*Points are posted by Prof. Spalding or his grader within two weeks of the due dates for these items. Please do not inquire about these points until two weeks after the due date and time have elapsed.
†Assigned at the end of the semester, after the last day of the course.

*Task*	*Point Calculation Method*	*Approx.* *Total*
Baseline Quiz on Blackboard	Twenty if taken during the first week of the course. All quizzes are graded on Blackboard, but the points on the Baseline Quiz will be adjusted (at the end of the semester†) to 20 points if it is completed during the first week of the course (prior to the Unit One due date and time). No opportunity will be provided for students to take the Baseline Quiz after the first week of the course. The Baseline Quiz allows Prof. Spalding to "take the temperature" of the students in this class, that is, to ascertain their level of familiarity with the types of issues addressed in this course as they begin this course.	20
Other Email Assignments†	Five points each for timely and complete submission of the First Email Assignment during the first week of the course; and, five points for timely selecting the written Part Three of the final exam or, alternatively, scheduling an online interview.	10
Digital DropBox Assignments	Five points each for timely and complete submission of the eight Digital DropBox Assignments (scanned student id, proposed research questions in proper format, interviewee information, advance notice of research presentation, bibliography in proper format, early draft of last five paragraphs of research paper, and research presentation handout) in accordance with the instructions and as scheduled in the syllabus.	30
Blackboard Quizzes # 1 through # 6	Ten to twenty points maximum each if completed on time. All quizzes are automatically graded on Blackboard upon submission. Copies of quizzes are not available during the course or at any other time. If you want a copy of a quiz, you must, *prior to* hitting the button, follow the instructions on the Quizzes page.	120
Surveys	Points are awarded for complete and thoughtful answers.	10
Regular Discussion Board Assignments†	50 points maximum. This amounts to approximately five maximum task points per assignment for thoughtful, informed, substantive and significant comments added to the Discussion Board on Blackboard in response to each discussion board assignment (including both initial responses and thoughtful, substantive replies to the postings of other students). At the end of the semester, postings will be graded as a whole, with an average of 5 points per assignment for superior work, an average of 3 points for satisfactory work, and an average of 1 for poor work. Zero points are allowed for no posting, or for a late posting. Postings that essentially amount to little more than "Good job" or "I agree" or "Good luck with that" do not count. Only postings that move the thinking forward, count. The discussions pertaining to the Ethical Analysis and the Argumentative Essay are graded separately from these regular Discussion Board points and are not included in the maximum 50 points here.	50
Presentation of Research†	Forty points maximum for quality of presentation, including handout, whether in-person or via online video. Twenty-five of these forty points pertain to thoughtfulness, analysis of ethical issues, quality of argumentation (e.g., properly warranted ethical claim), and scholarly content. Fifteen of these forty points pertain to professionalism of presentation, including articulation, camera interaction (look at the camera; don't read your presentation; the camera should be at or slightly above eye level so that you are not "looking down" at the camera), setting (good lighting makes a difference, as does the setting: presentations from bedrooms, kitchens and cars don't come off as professional as presentations from an office or similar type of environment), rhetorical quality, professional appearance (pajamas and athletic clothing are not recommended), demeanor, clarity and following instructions. However, due to the extra work required to produce and upload a video presentation (as compared to simply showing up to present in person), students who instead produce and upload their presentations by the deadline can also earn up to five (5) points extra credit.	40 (+5)
"Slack"†	Every student who completes this course receives the full 30 slack points in the numerator of their calculated grade, but these 20 slack points are not added to the denominator. Slack points and extra credit points are included in the numerator, but not in the denominator, when calculating the percentage of points earned by the student. These slack points are designed to cover such contingencies and difficulties as: problem(s) with Blackboard, late registration, athletics, missed class, stolen purse or backpack, not understanding the Wayne State University academic calendar or the due dates in the syllabus, confusion about time zones, attendance at funeral, standing up in a wedding, missed quiz, student visa delay, computer problem, missed homework, snow, financial difficulty in purchasing the textbook, car accident, hospitalization, air travel problem, jury duty, forgotten deadline, promotion at work, cross-border delay, death in the family, broken bone, inadvertent submitting of an incomplete quiz or exam due to "panic" or any other reason, sports team obligations, ski accident, canceled babysitter, power outage, difficulty in learning how to take an online course, conflict with work, forgot to complete all exam questions, accidentally entered a wrong choice on a multiple choice quiz or exam, accidentally submitted the wrong answer to an essay question on an exam, sudden illness, pet emergency, etc. etc. These slack points also make it unnecessary to come up with excuses.	(+20)
	Approximate Total Task Points other than exams and research paper, and not including slack points and extra credit points (in parentheses above).	280