Description

Weighted Grade Book Project

Due Date:

Understanding how weighted averages work will be a very important topic for you in this course, since your grades are determined in this way. In this project, you will create an Excel spreadsheet that can calculate a Chemistry Lab student’s final grade. You will then write a reflection paper answering several questions regarding your project.

In this project you are required to do the following:

1. Create an Excel spreadsheet that will be capable of calculating a student’s final grade in this course.  Keep in mind that weighting is involved in determining the final grade. Your Excel spreadsheet should contain the following:

□ Your name, course name and project name

□ The scores provided on the next page

□ Category averages

□ The weights used to determine the final weighted grade for the course

□ A labeled cell with the Final course grade that uses a formula to calculate the weighted average grade for the course. If a value is changed in your spreadsheet, your final calculation should recalculate. Please limit your use of Excel functions to those used in the course-packet.

□ In addition to correctly calculating the final grade, your spreadsheet should be easy to read. Make sure the spreadsheet it is well-organized, with clear labels, and helpful formatting.

2. Write a typed reflection paper (minimum one page).  Remember that we are looking for responses that are backed by values that support your statements. The explanations should be clear to a broad audience. The paper must include the following information:

□ Your name, course name and project name.

□ An explanation of how the final grade is calculated and how Excel is used in this process.

□ Analyze and reflect on the results for the student data provided. What is the final course score you determined based on the initial data provided? What letter grade is this?

□ This student was given an opportunity to redo every quiz.  If the student were to work to earn 100% on every quiz, quantify the impact this change would have on the overall grade.  Would the opportunity to improve every homework assignment (while keeping the original quiz scores earned) be a better choice for this student?  Explain.

□ The student also has questions about how the Lab Safety assignments were scored. The scores were originally out of varying point values. The student initially received scores of 18/20, 18/50, and 30/30. Note that the scores for these quizzes are listed in the data as percentages equivalent to these ratios. Could calculating the average score as a ratio of points possible to points earned affect the category average for Lab Safety? Explain why or why not. 

□ The school’s science department is considering reducing the Quiz category to 10%.  Create a new weighting system using the remaining grade categories that would accommodate this change.  Explain why/how you chose your new weights.  Describe the impact your changes would have for this student. 

□   Reflect on the results of your project. What have you learned from doing this project?

In addition to addressing the given statements, your project should:

¨  Contain a paper that is well organized and in paragraph form (not just bulleted answers!).

¨  Contain a paper that is clear to someone who is not familiar with the project. (i.e. don’t assume that you are writing this to your instructor, make sure anyone could understand your statements.)

¨  Give specific values (i. e. quantify statements).

¨  Provide support for your statements (e.g. explain how values were found and justify statements).

¨  Contain a spreadsheet using the original grade values given below.

¨  Use appropriate representations (tables, color, formatting) that will help the reader understand the project.

¨  Project should make use of Excel functions.

¨  Project should be your original work. This project is to be completed by individual students. Copying someone else’s work is cheating. Sharing your work with someone else is cheating.

¨  Submit both an Excel and Word file following your instructor’s directions for submission.

These instructions cover the MINIMUM expectations of this project.