Another interesting email exchange

Bears dissemination, IMO.

Dear Prof.
The course outline says that the Project report is due in the 10th Class.
Could you please confirm the same and also the grade distribution.
It would really help to plan ahead if you could let us know the exact deliverables.

And why don’t we do away with CP points? The bonus points are only for comments
which add considerable value. And these insights are invariably not incentivized by
CP points.
Right now I don’t think it serves any purpose. I have been allotted points below
average, even though marginally, in spite of having participated in class a few times.
Of course I doubt if I have added any value to the class.
But some who have been relatively quiet have ended up with more points.

So doing away with CP points is perhaps a good idea?

Regards,
M

My response:

Hi M,

Good points and I take them. I would very much have wanted to do away with CP points but ASA rules forbid me to change grading criteria that have been bid upon already(‘sanctity of contract’).

MTKR next year should be a more easygoing course, IMO, but that’s besides the point now, I guess. Anyway, first time teaching is filled with such stumbles & pitfalls followed by getting up pretending nothing happened.

OK now that I can’t do away with CP, I intend to do the next best thing – make it ever less relevant to grade deciding criteria. Of course seriously delinquent behavior like never showing up to class at all etc will be duly reflected in CP. And seriously delinquent behavior like coming up with those awesomely insightful discussion points, counterpoints and counter-counterpoints will also be duly reflected, although in lesser measure.

You are right about the paradox, or irony if you prefer, of CP. The best CP is contributed by those who aren’t particularly looking for CP. Nishkaam karmayogis, IMO.

But otherwise I don’t expect CP to be any sort of game changer. No.

In group terms, the project will be important.

Half the exam will be designed to ensure those who attended class both physically and mentally sail through. The other half will be designed to separate the best from the rest. (Fair warning given way ahead only).

The schedule designed at the beginning of the course was tentative (it was the content that was contracted upon, of sorts). We ran late, improvised on the fly and all. So here we are. The latest schedule announced in class in lec 7 is what is currently on.

Hope that clarifies.

Sudhir