The grade will be based 25% on labs, 25% on assignments, 15% on the in-class quiz shows, 15% on the midterm exam, and 20% on the final exam. The grading will be on an absolute scale; if you do 60% or better, then you will get at least a C. Above passing, the following scale will be used. This scale may be adjusted so that thresholds are lowered, but I will never raise the thresholds (not even if it means the whole class will get As).
As=85-100%, Bs=70-85%, Cs=55-70% (60% for C), Ds=45-55%.
For the Quiz Show, I will assign students into small groups. I will ask a question to the first group, who will have 30 seconds to give an answer or pass the question to the next group. If the question is passed, the next group must decide immediately whether to answer or pass. If passed by the second group, the question must be answered by the third group. A correct answer scores 2 points, an incorrect answer scores -1 point, a singly passed correct answer scores 3 points, and a doubly passed correct answer scores 4 points. If your group correctly answers a question during a round, your group will be skipped for questions untill the next round. A round is over when every group has either answered a question correctly or has had two chances to answer a question (after passing two questions, the group gets 0 points for the round). We will typically have two rounds per Quiz Show (one Quiz Show per week), so for a perfect score, you should get 4 points per Quiz Show. Of course, if you get more than 4 points average, then those points will make up for deficiencies in your exams and/or assignments. Some of the Quiz Show questions will reappear on the exams, so even if you don't have to answer a question, it's a good idea to learn the answer in case the question reappears in the midterm or final.