College professor... doesn't know our test answers? What to do?
October 22, 2013 10:48 AM Subscribe
Asking for a friend...
I want to know how to handle a potential conflict with a college professor.
Our recent test had a wrong answer. The question was something in our textbook, but something very easy to google as well. Let's say, "What year did Columbus sail the ocean blue." I put 1492. Let's say the answer on the test is 1300.
My teacher is (tacitly) insisting it was 1300. What to do next? Is there any way I can resolve this without it backfiring for me?
Hello, I am taking an online course this semester as part of the credits I need to graduate. I have taken a course with this professor before and did pretty well (A). My overall GPA is 4.0.
I wrote to the professor about the issue above. Also, there was a question about history-related professions that was not discussed in class or in the book.
No reply for several days. The teacher wrote me an email saying maybe the textbook was confusing me and she'd be happy to help explain.
I wrote to her. Politely. "I am confused about that date Columbus came to America; is it 1300?"
No reply. She wrote back requesting me to send her the textbook page where it says 1492. She also said that the history-related professions were understandably complex, but she was busy grading for the next few days.
I wrote back, "sorry for being obtuse, could you clarify if it is 1300 or 1492?" I sent her the page number and straight up told her the other question wasn't in the book.
She wrote back, "I'll get back to you later; I have a lot of paper to grade."
I just got my next test/paper back and it was covered with nitpicky remarks and the grade was QUITE low. The feedback said that my paper was missing an important portion ("unless she read it wrong"). That portion is right there!
What do I do? I can't schedule a phone call or anything-- the professor barely responds to email. I want to salvage the situation, but I really do need this class and this grading is driving me nuts.
What is the most diplomatic/tactful way to handle this?
Is there anything I can do, given that this is an online course?
Hello, I am taking an online course this semester as part of the credits I need to graduate. I have taken a course with this professor before and did pretty well (A). My overall GPA is 4.0.
I wrote to the professor about the issue above. Also, there was a question about history-related professions that was not discussed in class or in the book.
No reply for several days. The teacher wrote me an email saying maybe the textbook was confusing me and she'd be happy to help explain.
I wrote to her. Politely. "I am confused about that date Columbus came to America; is it 1300?"
No reply. She wrote back requesting me to send her the textbook page where it says 1492. She also said that the history-related professions were understandably complex, but she was busy grading for the next few days.
I wrote back, "sorry for being obtuse, could you clarify if it is 1300 or 1492?" I sent her the page number and straight up told her the other question wasn't in the book.
She wrote back, "I'll get back to you later; I have a lot of paper to grade."
I just got my next test/paper back and it was covered with nitpicky remarks and the grade was QUITE low. The feedback said that my paper was missing an important portion ("unless she read it wrong"). That portion is right there!
What do I do? I can't schedule a phone call or anything-- the professor barely responds to email. I want to salvage the situation, but I really do need this class and this grading is driving me nuts.
What is the most diplomatic/tactful way to handle this?
Is there anything I can do, given that this is an online course?
This post was deleted for the following reason: poster's request -- LobsterMitten
Universities have an appeal process -- contact the Registrar's office and ask how one can appeal a grade. The process depends on the school, but you can take this higher than the professor. Should not matter that it is an online course as long as it is an accredited school.
posted by Lescha at 10:55 AM on October 22, 2013 [8 favorites]
posted by Lescha at 10:55 AM on October 22, 2013 [8 favorites]
Is there anything I can do, given that this is an online course?
Whatever you can do is going to be set by the university's policies regarding grade appeals. You need to read those policies. Each policy is different, but a typical grade appeal/dispute policy generally only allows an appeal when the relevant dean or a panel of faculty make a determination that the professor's allegedly incorrect grade was some sort of "injustice". Professors are generally given great discretion in their determination of students' grades. The burden is going to be yours.
posted by Tanizaki at 10:56 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Whatever you can do is going to be set by the university's policies regarding grade appeals. You need to read those policies. Each policy is different, but a typical grade appeal/dispute policy generally only allows an appeal when the relevant dean or a panel of faculty make a determination that the professor's allegedly incorrect grade was some sort of "injustice". Professors are generally given great discretion in their determination of students' grades. The burden is going to be yours.
posted by Tanizaki at 10:56 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Does the university have an ombudsman? I would try there first. That office can at least point you to the policies you need, if not mediate between you and the professor.
posted by payoto at 11:00 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by payoto at 11:00 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Is there a reason you're using this 1300/Columbus thing instead of the actual question?
posted by box at 11:13 AM on October 22, 2013 [31 favorites]
posted by box at 11:13 AM on October 22, 2013 [31 favorites]
Her workload is not an excuse for poor communication. If you need an answer to your question within a day in order to keep your workflow up, then you need to let her know. What does your syllabus say about contacting the professor? Does she list a phone number, take texts, or is email her preferred method of contact? How long until she's supposed to get back to you? What are office hours?
Honestly, I don't think emailing once a day is out of line, especially given the nature of this class. Even if class is only once a week, that gives you maybe six chances to contact her before you need to prepare for the next class. And if you're waiting "a few days" for a response to a question that will shape how you act going forward, that's making your life harder.
You asked about diplomacy, and I see no reason why you should have to dance around this in order to protect her feelings. You're not spamming her inbox, you're asking for the response that she is supposed to be providing. The whole point of taking a course is to have a professional guide to the subject; if she's not doing that, why are you paying her?
So give it a few weeks of daily emails, and then go see your ombudsman or whomever. Because the first question out of his/her mouth is likely to be, "What have you done to attempt to resolve the situation?" and you'll be in a stronger position if you can say "daily contact with the professor (include copies as necessary) and repeated requests for meetings to discuss the professor's fuckups (the factual discrepancy between the text and her lectures, her missing the answer on your exam)".
posted by disconnect at 11:13 AM on October 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
Honestly, I don't think emailing once a day is out of line, especially given the nature of this class. Even if class is only once a week, that gives you maybe six chances to contact her before you need to prepare for the next class. And if you're waiting "a few days" for a response to a question that will shape how you act going forward, that's making your life harder.
You asked about diplomacy, and I see no reason why you should have to dance around this in order to protect her feelings. You're not spamming her inbox, you're asking for the response that she is supposed to be providing. The whole point of taking a course is to have a professional guide to the subject; if she's not doing that, why are you paying her?
So give it a few weeks of daily emails, and then go see your ombudsman or whomever. Because the first question out of his/her mouth is likely to be, "What have you done to attempt to resolve the situation?" and you'll be in a stronger position if you can say "daily contact with the professor (include copies as necessary) and repeated requests for meetings to discuss the professor's fuckups (the factual discrepancy between the text and her lectures, her missing the answer on your exam)".
posted by disconnect at 11:13 AM on October 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
I frequently teach online classes at a university.
I am unclear about what the problem was -- is there an error in a specific answer on a test (1300 vs. 1492) or grading for a longer piece of written work, like a paper? These are two different situations and there are different ways to resolve each.
Are there in-person office hours for this class? If you haven't gone to them DO THAT. Miscommunications (and non-answers) are endemic to email. Your best possibility for success is getting ahold of your professor and talking to them. Be persistent -- email, phone, show up at their office, whatever. Any sort of higher up (their supervisor in their department or a university ombudsman) is very unlikely to overrule an instructor for something this minor.
You should know that nothing gets more eye-rolls than grade-grubbing from students when faculty talk amongst themselves. Your 4.0 GPA is not something you will want to mention to the instructor. Frame your question so it's less about "I need an A" and more in terms your understanding of the material.
posted by pantarei70 at 11:19 AM on October 22, 2013 [13 favorites]
I am unclear about what the problem was -- is there an error in a specific answer on a test (1300 vs. 1492) or grading for a longer piece of written work, like a paper? These are two different situations and there are different ways to resolve each.
Are there in-person office hours for this class? If you haven't gone to them DO THAT. Miscommunications (and non-answers) are endemic to email. Your best possibility for success is getting ahold of your professor and talking to them. Be persistent -- email, phone, show up at their office, whatever. Any sort of higher up (their supervisor in their department or a university ombudsman) is very unlikely to overrule an instructor for something this minor.
You should know that nothing gets more eye-rolls than grade-grubbing from students when faculty talk amongst themselves. Your 4.0 GPA is not something you will want to mention to the instructor. Frame your question so it's less about "I need an A" and more in terms your understanding of the material.
posted by pantarei70 at 11:19 AM on October 22, 2013 [13 favorites]
"I'll get back to you later; I have a lot of paper to grade."
For your friend...She may be right, you know. Maybe try to contact her again, to point out that the "important portion" she found missing was actually there, and to ask how to amend that.
Nitpicky is subjective. Search your soul before flaring up. The fact that your paper was covered with remarks is actually a good sign. You haven't been ignored. It's hard being criticized, but in a paper-graded-by-professor situation there's little one can do about it, apart from being stunningly brilliant all the time - and nobody is that.
As to the Columbus example, please do submit the actual example. Perhaps there's a twist to it that you may have missed and that people here could help explain.
posted by Namlit at 11:26 AM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
For your friend...She may be right, you know. Maybe try to contact her again, to point out that the "important portion" she found missing was actually there, and to ask how to amend that.
Nitpicky is subjective. Search your soul before flaring up. The fact that your paper was covered with remarks is actually a good sign. You haven't been ignored. It's hard being criticized, but in a paper-graded-by-professor situation there's little one can do about it, apart from being stunningly brilliant all the time - and nobody is that.
As to the Columbus example, please do submit the actual example. Perhaps there's a twist to it that you may have missed and that people here could help explain.
posted by Namlit at 11:26 AM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
One thing you should do is make sure you're aware of the add/drop calendar so that you know what your options are in case this class appears to be going nuclear.
posted by jph at 11:28 AM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by jph at 11:28 AM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
I agree with disconnect. It sounds like the instructor is a flake, and is brushing you off with excuses. I suggest being upfront that you are taking steps to go over her head, and keep track of your timeline for the purpose of appeals.
In my experience in academia, no one will pay attention unless you alert them that there's a problem, so email the department head, or the Dean's office, or someone up the food chain. Be more aggressive on your own behalf.
posted by feste at 11:30 AM on October 22, 2013
In my experience in academia, no one will pay attention unless you alert them that there's a problem, so email the department head, or the Dean's office, or someone up the food chain. Be more aggressive on your own behalf.
posted by feste at 11:30 AM on October 22, 2013
I don't mean to be harsh, but I've read this question five times now and I still can't make heads or tails of what you're trying to say. Maybe that has something to do with an imperfect use of the example you've chosen, but I have to raise the possibility that there is a comprehension/communication issue muddying the actual situation as well.
If your professor is teaching an online course, she likely is dealing with an overwhelming number of students and a flood of half-thought-out and imperfectly expressed student emails. Her workload might not be an "excuse" for poor communication, but it's the reality you're going to have to deal with. Unlike disconnect, I don't think turning yourself into a squeaky wheel and then taking this all the way up to the ombudsman is going to make this better for you, especially given that the link between your "error" on your first test and your low grade on the second seems tenuous at best. (That is what you're suggesting, yes? That you were punished on the second test for having questioned the professor's authority on the first?)
Instead, I would write up one long, gracious, very clear email laying out your question and thoughts relating to the first test. Start at the beginning ("I'm sorry to over this again, but...") Include links to citations if necessary. Then give it to a smart friend to read over. If your friend agrees that your argument is 100% persuasive, and this is obviously an error of fact rather than interpretation, send the email. Finish with a line apologizing again for the trouble, and saying how much you're enjoying the class otherwise. And then let it drop.
The truth is, you may end up getting a slightly lower grade in the course than you believe you deserve. Maybe the professor honestly doesn't like you and that's clouding her judgment. Or maybe you're actually in the wrong. The point is, occasionally you will run into people who will not give you the benefit of the doubt, or who will screw up, or in other ways not give you what you want. It's good to practice making a strong case for yourself, but it's also good to know when to accept what's happened graciously, and move on.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 11:30 AM on October 22, 2013 [22 favorites]
If your professor is teaching an online course, she likely is dealing with an overwhelming number of students and a flood of half-thought-out and imperfectly expressed student emails. Her workload might not be an "excuse" for poor communication, but it's the reality you're going to have to deal with. Unlike disconnect, I don't think turning yourself into a squeaky wheel and then taking this all the way up to the ombudsman is going to make this better for you, especially given that the link between your "error" on your first test and your low grade on the second seems tenuous at best. (That is what you're suggesting, yes? That you were punished on the second test for having questioned the professor's authority on the first?)
Instead, I would write up one long, gracious, very clear email laying out your question and thoughts relating to the first test. Start at the beginning ("I'm sorry to over this again, but...") Include links to citations if necessary. Then give it to a smart friend to read over. If your friend agrees that your argument is 100% persuasive, and this is obviously an error of fact rather than interpretation, send the email. Finish with a line apologizing again for the trouble, and saying how much you're enjoying the class otherwise. And then let it drop.
The truth is, you may end up getting a slightly lower grade in the course than you believe you deserve. Maybe the professor honestly doesn't like you and that's clouding her judgment. Or maybe you're actually in the wrong. The point is, occasionally you will run into people who will not give you the benefit of the doubt, or who will screw up, or in other ways not give you what you want. It's good to practice making a strong case for yourself, but it's also good to know when to accept what's happened graciously, and move on.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 11:30 AM on October 22, 2013 [22 favorites]
If you can sit together and discuss, then do that. Email can come off all kinds of nasty when it's not intended to, especially when you're challenging a professor.
As for the date, if it's not in the textbook, how do you know that your answer is right and hers is wrong? Are you sure you read the question correctly? Did she make a point of this in her lecture? Don't approach it as a "gotcha" approach it as, "This source says that the answer is X. So does this one. Did I miss something where the source is Y?" Then listen to and accept her explanation.
If you're not happy with this grade, ask her how you can still get the A that you'd like to earn in her class. She may offer to throw out your lowest test score, or to allow you to do extra credit.
Also, very few people care about G.P.A. So if you don't get the A you want, don't fret. A little adversity is good for the character.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:30 AM on October 22, 2013
As for the date, if it's not in the textbook, how do you know that your answer is right and hers is wrong? Are you sure you read the question correctly? Did she make a point of this in her lecture? Don't approach it as a "gotcha" approach it as, "This source says that the answer is X. So does this one. Did I miss something where the source is Y?" Then listen to and accept her explanation.
If you're not happy with this grade, ask her how you can still get the A that you'd like to earn in her class. She may offer to throw out your lowest test score, or to allow you to do extra credit.
Also, very few people care about G.P.A. So if you don't get the A you want, don't fret. A little adversity is good for the character.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:30 AM on October 22, 2013
I had no trouble reading the OP.
posted by feste at 11:32 AM on October 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by feste at 11:32 AM on October 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
Appeal the grade according to your university's appeals procedure, which will be clearly outlined in your student or departmental handbook.
posted by goo at 11:37 AM on October 22, 2013
posted by goo at 11:37 AM on October 22, 2013
What's the actual question in dispute? Knowing that will help us construct a strategy for you because we will know how much of a gap exists between the instructor's interpretation and yours.
posted by Ironmouth at 11:40 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Ironmouth at 11:40 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
A lot of universities have student advocates. They are a stop before the ombudsman, if you want to calibrate things a bit.
posted by dovesandstones at 11:41 AM on October 22, 2013
posted by dovesandstones at 11:41 AM on October 22, 2013
Response by poster: To be clear: we talked about whether to include the actual example, but did not-- it is too specific; it will send most people googling, and someone from the class may ever recognize it.
Anyhow, the point is, as per the above, the correct answer came from the textbook. The test had a mistake on it, clear and simple.
We've also included the email exchange, which is suggestive of the professor's trying to delay giving a direct reply. It is not clear the teacher knows the answer.
posted by kettleoffish at 11:47 AM on October 22, 2013
Anyhow, the point is, as per the above, the correct answer came from the textbook. The test had a mistake on it, clear and simple.
We've also included the email exchange, which is suggestive of the professor's trying to delay giving a direct reply. It is not clear the teacher knows the answer.
posted by kettleoffish at 11:47 AM on October 22, 2013
As much as you may want to calibrate the correctness of the universe and get the paper graded correctly, another approach this is simply to not sweat this detail. It makes no difference in the end and ultimately you know the answer so the overt objective of the class (learning) has occurred.
posted by dgran at 11:48 AM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by dgran at 11:48 AM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Ok, ok. :)
Which of the above is not part of the greater Antilles.
-Cuba
-Jamaica
-St. Thomas
-Puerto Rico
Correct answer: St. Thomas. Teacher's answer, Puerto Rico.
posted by kettleoffish at 11:52 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Which of the above is not part of the greater Antilles.
-Cuba
-Jamaica
-St. Thomas
-Puerto Rico
Correct answer: St. Thomas. Teacher's answer, Puerto Rico.
posted by kettleoffish at 11:52 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
So I'm not clear: Did you provide the cited page from the textbook? Seems like that (and perhaps corroboration from additional outside sources) is the solution here. "Dear professor, here is supporting evidence for my contention that the answer to question X is Y, and not Z.
Beyond that, yeah: A good bit of college is learning how to turn off your brain and regurgitate the answer that the professor wants, not necessarily the one supported by cites and evidence. Maybe look at how you can better process the lectures to gather this information from those lectures, because usually that's where those doozies get dropped.
posted by straw at 12:01 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Beyond that, yeah: A good bit of college is learning how to turn off your brain and regurgitate the answer that the professor wants, not necessarily the one supported by cites and evidence. Maybe look at how you can better process the lectures to gather this information from those lectures, because usually that's where those doozies get dropped.
posted by straw at 12:01 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
"Dear professor,
There was an error on a recent test.
The question was:
Which of the above is not part of the Greater Antilles.
-Cuba
-Jamaica
-St. Thomas
-Puerto Rico
The correct answer is St. Thomas. However, the correct answer for the test was Puerto Rico.
As you can see, Puerto Rico is indeed part of the Greater Antilles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Antilles
Will you please reconsider the mark on the test?
Thank you,
Kettle Fish"
posted by KokuRyu at 12:02 PM on October 22, 2013 [18 favorites]
There was an error on a recent test.
The question was:
Which of the above is not part of the Greater Antilles.
-Cuba
-Jamaica
-St. Thomas
-Puerto Rico
The correct answer is St. Thomas. However, the correct answer for the test was Puerto Rico.
As you can see, Puerto Rico is indeed part of the Greater Antilles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Antilles
Will you please reconsider the mark on the test?
Thank you,
Kettle Fish"
posted by KokuRyu at 12:02 PM on October 22, 2013 [18 favorites]
Okay, so the answer is cut-and-dry and not open to interpretation. What do you want when you ask "could you clarify if it is 1300 or 1492?" You want her to admit she's wrong? Apparently she's not going to do that. I would move on; you don't absolutely need to understand her rationale in order to have a fulfilling career. Disputing one "wrong" answer on a test is not worth your energy.
posted by desjardins at 12:03 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by desjardins at 12:03 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I can't schedule a phone call or anything
Why not? If the professor is in the same geographical area, ask to set up a meeting to discuss the two exams. If the professor is not in the same area, then ask to set up a phone call -- the prof would likely prefer to just have a conversation with you for 15 mins at a convenient time than receive slews of emails from you at inconvenient times.
If you're right on the multiple choice question, then pursue it. If prof is still not budging then decide if the 2-point-value (or whatever) of the question is worth bringing it to your dean/VP/etc.
On the essay, maybe you can get her to change the grade, maybe not. Maybe you're not as good at writing essays as you thought and it's actually a fair grade. Again, after confirming that your grade stands, you can choose to appeal it (though I think you often can only appeal a final grade).
Point is, you need to properly speak with the professor or let it go. Any official grade appeal procedure that you attempt will require that you first 'exhaust all of your remedies' with the prof, which you haven't done. If prof refuses to set up a call or meeting with you, then get your dean/vp/ombud involved (this is a separate issue from the grade dispute).
In life you're going to deal with jerks, people who refuse to admit they're wrong, and people who are too busy to email you back. Sometimes those people will be your boss. You need to learn how to either confront it or suck it up.
posted by melissasaurus at 12:04 PM on October 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
Why not? If the professor is in the same geographical area, ask to set up a meeting to discuss the two exams. If the professor is not in the same area, then ask to set up a phone call -- the prof would likely prefer to just have a conversation with you for 15 mins at a convenient time than receive slews of emails from you at inconvenient times.
If you're right on the multiple choice question, then pursue it. If prof is still not budging then decide if the 2-point-value (or whatever) of the question is worth bringing it to your dean/VP/etc.
On the essay, maybe you can get her to change the grade, maybe not. Maybe you're not as good at writing essays as you thought and it's actually a fair grade. Again, after confirming that your grade stands, you can choose to appeal it (though I think you often can only appeal a final grade).
Point is, you need to properly speak with the professor or let it go. Any official grade appeal procedure that you attempt will require that you first 'exhaust all of your remedies' with the prof, which you haven't done. If prof refuses to set up a call or meeting with you, then get your dean/vp/ombud involved (this is a separate issue from the grade dispute).
In life you're going to deal with jerks, people who refuse to admit they're wrong, and people who are too busy to email you back. Sometimes those people will be your boss. You need to learn how to either confront it or suck it up.
posted by melissasaurus at 12:04 PM on October 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
> The correct answer is St. Thomas. However, the correct answer for the test was Puerto Rico. As you can see, Puerto Rico is indeed part of the Greater Antilles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Antilles Will you please reconsider the mark on the test?
This is good, but I'd cite a better example than Wikipedia just to cut off that line of argument. Here's a link to the Encyclopedia Britannica, for example.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:21 PM on October 22, 2013 [11 favorites]
This is good, but I'd cite a better example than Wikipedia just to cut off that line of argument. Here's a link to the Encyclopedia Britannica, for example.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:21 PM on October 22, 2013 [11 favorites]
Ok, so here's the thing, though: it doesn't matter if the teacher knows the answer. After all, even if she originally made a mistake, you sent her a link to the answer, so she knows it now. What matters is your situation.
You asked originally for a "diplomatic" solution and I think that's the keyword here. Imagine if this were a job. Your boss made a mistake on your performance review. How do you handle it? There are many options. Ideally, you'd mention the mistake to your boss, and your boss would immediately apologize and graciously correct his error. Does that always happen in real life? Tragically, no. Is how he is likely to respond dependent on how you present evidence of his mistake to him? Yes, very much. Is it possible for you to go over his head and contest the performance review with his supervisor, or go on over to HR? Yes. Is that the best solution? In some cases, yes...but most likely, no. Because in situations like these, interpersonal interactions matter as much as who is objectively 'right,' and that's what you need to consider here.
How much could a question like the one you've cited above count towards your grade? 5 points? 10? Your professor made a mistake, and you called her on it - maybe not in the most gracious way, as desjardins notes. No one likes having someone try to pull a 'gotcha' on them - regardless of (or maybe especially if) they're in the wrong. That backfired on you, you didn't get what you wanted, and now (maybe) you're reaping the consequences of that...your prof is reasserting her authority by grading your paper more harshly. That sucks. But is the best thing to do to go over her head and try to force her to change your grade? If you do that, here are some possible consequences:
1.) It may not work. You'll get the points back for the Antilles question, sure, but papers are a hell of a lot more subjective and "nitpicky" criticisms are pretty hard to distinguish from just, well, criticism.
2.) You will have burned the bridge with this professor - a person who'd initially graded you favorably, and who could possibly have served as a reference for you.
3.) You may be putting other relationships at risk. I hesitate to mention that last one because there are definitely lots and lots of situations when a student is 100% justified in going to an ombudsman or other outside party, and I would never want to suggest that would be a risky move. In most cases it's not, and if it is, it's not fair. But in a situation like this, where it's solely over a grade (no larger discrimination issues or abuses of power), it's a relatively small issue, and the link between the first and the second test is unclear...think of the boss situation again. Which is better for your career: having a reputation as a person who can graciously and straightforwardly handle interpersonal disputes, even when things don't go their way, or someone who escalates dramatically when things go wrong?
Look, I feel for you. Most online learning blows, and just from the evidence of that inane, junior-high school level test question, my guess is the class kind of sucks and the professor isn't that invested. You deserve better. But ultimately, the tone of your question suggests that part of you is hoping that if you can prove the professor doesn't even know the answer to her own test question (gasp!) some higher authority is going to swoop in and take away her Professor Card or something. That's not how it works. People make mistakes, including professors. Some of those mistakes will negatively impact you, sometimes in unfair ways. Most of the time, the only solution is: make a polite and compelling case for yourself, but if that doesn't get the results you want, move on.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 12:24 PM on October 22, 2013 [8 favorites]
You asked originally for a "diplomatic" solution and I think that's the keyword here. Imagine if this were a job. Your boss made a mistake on your performance review. How do you handle it? There are many options. Ideally, you'd mention the mistake to your boss, and your boss would immediately apologize and graciously correct his error. Does that always happen in real life? Tragically, no. Is how he is likely to respond dependent on how you present evidence of his mistake to him? Yes, very much. Is it possible for you to go over his head and contest the performance review with his supervisor, or go on over to HR? Yes. Is that the best solution? In some cases, yes...but most likely, no. Because in situations like these, interpersonal interactions matter as much as who is objectively 'right,' and that's what you need to consider here.
How much could a question like the one you've cited above count towards your grade? 5 points? 10? Your professor made a mistake, and you called her on it - maybe not in the most gracious way, as desjardins notes. No one likes having someone try to pull a 'gotcha' on them - regardless of (or maybe especially if) they're in the wrong. That backfired on you, you didn't get what you wanted, and now (maybe) you're reaping the consequences of that...your prof is reasserting her authority by grading your paper more harshly. That sucks. But is the best thing to do to go over her head and try to force her to change your grade? If you do that, here are some possible consequences:
1.) It may not work. You'll get the points back for the Antilles question, sure, but papers are a hell of a lot more subjective and "nitpicky" criticisms are pretty hard to distinguish from just, well, criticism.
2.) You will have burned the bridge with this professor - a person who'd initially graded you favorably, and who could possibly have served as a reference for you.
3.) You may be putting other relationships at risk. I hesitate to mention that last one because there are definitely lots and lots of situations when a student is 100% justified in going to an ombudsman or other outside party, and I would never want to suggest that would be a risky move. In most cases it's not, and if it is, it's not fair. But in a situation like this, where it's solely over a grade (no larger discrimination issues or abuses of power), it's a relatively small issue, and the link between the first and the second test is unclear...think of the boss situation again. Which is better for your career: having a reputation as a person who can graciously and straightforwardly handle interpersonal disputes, even when things don't go their way, or someone who escalates dramatically when things go wrong?
Look, I feel for you. Most online learning blows, and just from the evidence of that inane, junior-high school level test question, my guess is the class kind of sucks and the professor isn't that invested. You deserve better. But ultimately, the tone of your question suggests that part of you is hoping that if you can prove the professor doesn't even know the answer to her own test question (gasp!) some higher authority is going to swoop in and take away her Professor Card or something. That's not how it works. People make mistakes, including professors. Some of those mistakes will negatively impact you, sometimes in unfair ways. Most of the time, the only solution is: make a polite and compelling case for yourself, but if that doesn't get the results you want, move on.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 12:24 PM on October 22, 2013 [8 favorites]
I teach college kids (thankfully not online) and I would find the coy way you phrased the question frustrating, think you weren't paying attention, and probably say they same thing ("look it up in the textbook"). However, if a student came to me and said, "On your exam the correct answer was X, but I checked in the textbook and the author says it's Z," I would realize I'd made a mistake, thank the student for her attention to detail, give the points back to everyone who was marked incorrect on that answer, and move on with my day.
posted by oinopaponton at 12:28 PM on October 22, 2013 [42 favorites]
posted by oinopaponton at 12:28 PM on October 22, 2013 [42 favorites]
She wrote back, "I'll get back to you later; I have a lot of paper to grade."
See, that's a flake response. A useful response would be, "Huh, I checked your source, and you're right. I don't know why that happened. I'll make a note to change your grade and follow up with you later. Thanks for bringing this to my attention." Or maybe even, "I'm busy right now, I won't be able to look at this until two days from now, I'll get back to you then." Her response didn't give you any indication when you could expect a response, and her history with you suggests that she's flaky. So you'll need to follow up, and that's why a daily email is the thing to do.
posted by disconnect at 12:45 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
See, that's a flake response. A useful response would be, "Huh, I checked your source, and you're right. I don't know why that happened. I'll make a note to change your grade and follow up with you later. Thanks for bringing this to my attention." Or maybe even, "I'm busy right now, I won't be able to look at this until two days from now, I'll get back to you then." Her response didn't give you any indication when you could expect a response, and her history with you suggests that she's flaky. So you'll need to follow up, and that's why a daily email is the thing to do.
posted by disconnect at 12:45 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm a college professor, and probably like many professors, get lots of email each day. If I read the quotes from emails you sent to your professor, I might not get that there is a mistake on the exam, and instead that you are just confused. In fact, maybe he just misread your answer when grading, and is not confused about the date himself.
I'm surprised by all the conspiracy theories here about the professor not wanting to face up to a mistake, or disliking you personally or your grade-grubbing, or frankly even thinking about you for more than 10 seconds. I can guarantee you that this is not the case. It's simply that he's not aware you found an error in the exam.
Do not contact your ombudsman or dean. Instead just write a two sentence email saying "Sorry I wasn't clear -- I believe there is an error on question 5 in the exam. I put 1492 when it should be 1300 [link]". Your professor will probably reply "oh sorry, I updated your grade. Thanks."
posted by seattlejeff at 12:50 PM on October 22, 2013 [16 favorites]
I'm surprised by all the conspiracy theories here about the professor not wanting to face up to a mistake, or disliking you personally or your grade-grubbing, or frankly even thinking about you for more than 10 seconds. I can guarantee you that this is not the case. It's simply that he's not aware you found an error in the exam.
Do not contact your ombudsman or dean. Instead just write a two sentence email saying "Sorry I wasn't clear -- I believe there is an error on question 5 in the exam. I put 1492 when it should be 1300 [link]". Your professor will probably reply "oh sorry, I updated your grade. Thanks."
posted by seattlejeff at 12:50 PM on October 22, 2013 [16 favorites]
She does sound like a flake, but in my experience that's also depressingly common among online course professors--the ones who gravitate to teaching that way are sometimes (not always!) the types who are trying to cut down their workload because they aren't great at managing time, etc.
That said, I agree it's probably a matter of her not having spent much time thinking about this, and that the best way to approach such people is to give them executive summary sorts of emails: On the test we took on this date, this question number had the following answers provided. The correct answer was listed as X, but the book says on page 22 that it's Y, which is corroborated by [a couple sources]. Can our grades be corrected accordingly?
And then even if it should get a more prompt response, give it a little time because people are imperfect. If she refuses or doesn't get back to you in, say, two weeks (provided there's still a fair amount of time in the semester/quarter), then start looking at what the policies are to go above her head.
posted by Sequence at 12:54 PM on October 22, 2013
That said, I agree it's probably a matter of her not having spent much time thinking about this, and that the best way to approach such people is to give them executive summary sorts of emails: On the test we took on this date, this question number had the following answers provided. The correct answer was listed as X, but the book says on page 22 that it's Y, which is corroborated by [a couple sources]. Can our grades be corrected accordingly?
And then even if it should get a more prompt response, give it a little time because people are imperfect. If she refuses or doesn't get back to you in, say, two weeks (provided there's still a fair amount of time in the semester/quarter), then start looking at what the policies are to go above her head.
posted by Sequence at 12:54 PM on October 22, 2013
Agree with SeattleJeff -- I've been teaching college for over ten years. Teachers don't really have enough time to create enemies among students and then figure out ways to avoid them by being flaky. If your original email wasn't clear, then write a concise email that says "The answer in the textbook, on page X was ___. The test showed the right answer as ___________. Can you reconsider my grade?
The paper-grading and the test answer are two totally different things. If the professor is teaching online, I can bet you any amount of money that it is an adjunct or a grad student who is also teaching several in-person classes, thus making their load about 100-200 student per semester. If this person is making "nitpicky" remarks on your paper, then they are paying attention to the grading and therefore are correct in telling you they don't have time to answer your question immediately: it's probably not high on the priority list.
Ask again, politely. And then at the end of the semester, if nothing changed, ask again. If it's truly just one question on one test, is it really a huge deal if it goes unnoticed? Is this actually going to tank your grade? It sounds more like you are concerned that you got a bad grade on an essay and are now looking for a pattern of behavior that you can feel justified being outraged about. Determine your buy-in value and then move on.
posted by mrfuga0 at 12:57 PM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
The paper-grading and the test answer are two totally different things. If the professor is teaching online, I can bet you any amount of money that it is an adjunct or a grad student who is also teaching several in-person classes, thus making their load about 100-200 student per semester. If this person is making "nitpicky" remarks on your paper, then they are paying attention to the grading and therefore are correct in telling you they don't have time to answer your question immediately: it's probably not high on the priority list.
Ask again, politely. And then at the end of the semester, if nothing changed, ask again. If it's truly just one question on one test, is it really a huge deal if it goes unnoticed? Is this actually going to tank your grade? It sounds more like you are concerned that you got a bad grade on an essay and are now looking for a pattern of behavior that you can feel justified being outraged about. Determine your buy-in value and then move on.
posted by mrfuga0 at 12:57 PM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
It seems super weird to me that your professor would include a question on the test that was only in the textbook or a random fact that one could easily google.
Which makes me think that this was discussed in a lecture, and her reasons for preferring the "wrong" date were explained and are part of the material you're being tested on. Like, to go with your 1492 example, if the question was "What year did Europeans make first contact with Indigenous Americans?", maybe she was looking for the year that the Norse settlers at Vinland made first contact with Inuits, and your insistence on 1492, while technically an answer to the question, shows that you weren't paying attention to the material as presented in her specific course.
I mean, I went to school a while back (and I get that online courses are a little different), but I don't think I ever had a question on any test ever that was totally irrelevant to anything that had actually been covered in the course. Your professor is testing you on something specific, not just "things that can be found in your textbook" or "general knowledge about the world."
If I had a student who refused to accept that she'd missed a question like that on a test, I would probably not put them at the top of my priority list of stuff to do. I would also probably start taking a closer look at whether they were actually participating in the class or just regurgitating stuff they googled.
posted by Sara C. at 1:14 PM on October 22, 2013
Which makes me think that this was discussed in a lecture, and her reasons for preferring the "wrong" date were explained and are part of the material you're being tested on. Like, to go with your 1492 example, if the question was "What year did Europeans make first contact with Indigenous Americans?", maybe she was looking for the year that the Norse settlers at Vinland made first contact with Inuits, and your insistence on 1492, while technically an answer to the question, shows that you weren't paying attention to the material as presented in her specific course.
I mean, I went to school a while back (and I get that online courses are a little different), but I don't think I ever had a question on any test ever that was totally irrelevant to anything that had actually been covered in the course. Your professor is testing you on something specific, not just "things that can be found in your textbook" or "general knowledge about the world."
If I had a student who refused to accept that she'd missed a question like that on a test, I would probably not put them at the top of my priority list of stuff to do. I would also probably start taking a closer look at whether they were actually participating in the class or just regurgitating stuff they googled.
posted by Sara C. at 1:14 PM on October 22, 2013
I was confused by this question too, and I can see how the professor would be, too. It's not the example, it's the entire phrasing of what happened and what the student wants from the professor. Student needs to be more direct with the professor and maybe flex a bit on being mindful of the fact that the professor said twice that she would get back to student but that now was not a good time. This is not the same thing as being flaky.
posted by sm1tten at 1:20 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sm1tten at 1:20 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
"I mean, I went to school a while back (and I get that online courses are a little different), but I don't think I ever had a question on any test ever that was totally irrelevant to anything that had actually been covered in the course. Your professor is testing you on something specific, not just "things that can be found in your textbook" or "general knowledge about the world.""
I ground out my last couple requirements with online classes, and there are plenty of questions that are irrelevant or tangential to the course work that can be answered by 10 seconds of google.
(In fact, my psych class used a set of questions from a question bank that were available in whole as practice tests elsewhere on the web, which meant that a quick web search would essentially allow you to "practice" until you got all the correct answers. And there were a couple wrong ones in there too, which I assumed were like fake locations on maps — to avoid lazy teachers bootlegging without any editorial discretion.)
posted by klangklangston at 1:38 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I ground out my last couple requirements with online classes, and there are plenty of questions that are irrelevant or tangential to the course work that can be answered by 10 seconds of google.
(In fact, my psych class used a set of questions from a question bank that were available in whole as practice tests elsewhere on the web, which meant that a quick web search would essentially allow you to "practice" until you got all the correct answers. And there were a couple wrong ones in there too, which I assumed were like fake locations on maps — to avoid lazy teachers bootlegging without any editorial discretion.)
posted by klangklangston at 1:38 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I teach college kids (thankfully not online) and I would find the coy way you phrased the question frustrating, think you weren't paying attention, and probably say they same thing ("look it up in the textbook"). However, if a student came to me and said, "On your exam the correct answer was X, but I checked in the textbook and the author says it's Z," I would realize I'd made a mistake, thank the student for her attention to detail, give the points back to everyone who was marked incorrect on that answer, and move on with my day.
posted by oinopaponton at 12:28 PM on October 22 [15 favorites]
The student did do the bolded thing above (see the OP).
posted by kettleoffish at 2:00 PM on October 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by oinopaponton at 12:28 PM on October 22 [15 favorites]
The student did do the bolded thing above (see the OP).
posted by kettleoffish at 2:00 PM on October 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
Not that clearly, though, at least not as it was recounted in the question originally.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:07 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:07 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Well, all right, that part was my fault...
posted by kettleoffish at 2:10 PM on October 22, 2013
posted by kettleoffish at 2:10 PM on October 22, 2013
I work in an academic department.
The chain of command will be something like this:
1. Talk to the professor --- preferably on the phone or via skype or something a little more connected than email. Since the professor is not being responsive to that, it's not going to happen. So go to step 2.
2. Talk to the chair of the department. Since this is an online course, I would send the chair the chain of emails. Make sure the following is done very clearly: a) state what happened matter of factly in the order it happened with dates included, b) at the end of that, refer to the emails below, c) state how attempts have been made to connect with the faculty member through means other than email and then d) what the student wants from this exchange.
However, 3., the student needs to realize that almost certainly the chair does not have the power to change the student's grade. The chair can only inquire as to what is going on with this faculty member. However, information like this is important because if the faculty member is an adjunct, it may be that person shouldn't be rehired.
And lastly, 4. There should be a process in place above the chair. At my insitution, it is the dean of students office. But I do not recommend going to the Final Solution for only one test. Leave it in case the pattern of behavior continues.
This faculty member doesn't sound like someone my department would consider hiring ever again, for what it's worth.
posted by zizzle at 2:10 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
The chain of command will be something like this:
1. Talk to the professor --- preferably on the phone or via skype or something a little more connected than email. Since the professor is not being responsive to that, it's not going to happen. So go to step 2.
2. Talk to the chair of the department. Since this is an online course, I would send the chair the chain of emails. Make sure the following is done very clearly: a) state what happened matter of factly in the order it happened with dates included, b) at the end of that, refer to the emails below, c) state how attempts have been made to connect with the faculty member through means other than email and then d) what the student wants from this exchange.
However, 3., the student needs to realize that almost certainly the chair does not have the power to change the student's grade. The chair can only inquire as to what is going on with this faculty member. However, information like this is important because if the faculty member is an adjunct, it may be that person shouldn't be rehired.
And lastly, 4. There should be a process in place above the chair. At my insitution, it is the dean of students office. But I do not recommend going to the Final Solution for only one test. Leave it in case the pattern of behavior continues.
This faculty member doesn't sound like someone my department would consider hiring ever again, for what it's worth.
posted by zizzle at 2:10 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
How long has it been since she said she'd get back to you? Now that you've sent her the page number in the textbook, give her the benefit of the doubt to look into it and correct her mistake. If you don't hear from her by Friday, email her again using one of the models here. Just point out that she marked wrong an answer you got right.
As a professor I've made mistakes like this. It's not a big deal.
Your paper grade is another matter entirely. It takes a huge amount of time and effort to write comments on papers. You didn't get the grade you wanted, and you feel you were clear in your writing. You probably weren't. Students have high regard for their writing abilities when in fact they usually, almost always, are terrible. GPA doesn't correlate to good writing skills. The mistake this teacher made on grading a multiple choice exam says nothing about her ability to grade a paper.
If you want feedback on your paper, ask to schedule a time when you can go over it together. Approach the paper as a matter of wanting to learn how to do better the next time.
This is definitely not a matter to take to the ombudsman or dean or anyone. She'll probably realize her mistake in a few days and correct it.
posted by vincele at 2:12 PM on October 22, 2013 [8 favorites]
As a professor I've made mistakes like this. It's not a big deal.
Your paper grade is another matter entirely. It takes a huge amount of time and effort to write comments on papers. You didn't get the grade you wanted, and you feel you were clear in your writing. You probably weren't. Students have high regard for their writing abilities when in fact they usually, almost always, are terrible. GPA doesn't correlate to good writing skills. The mistake this teacher made on grading a multiple choice exam says nothing about her ability to grade a paper.
If you want feedback on your paper, ask to schedule a time when you can go over it together. Approach the paper as a matter of wanting to learn how to do better the next time.
This is definitely not a matter to take to the ombudsman or dean or anyone. She'll probably realize her mistake in a few days and correct it.
posted by vincele at 2:12 PM on October 22, 2013 [8 favorites]
This is ridiculous. You got a poor mark on a test because you didn't explain yourself well. One facet of you getting a poor grade is that you correctly answered a multiple choice question that the professor erroneously graded incorrectly due to them forgetting the correct answer. You appear to have an extremely muddled agenda here. Do you want the teacher to re-grade the entire exam because you feel you did explain yourself correctly in the essay portions, or do you just want that one multiple choice point awarded to you?
As a teacher of college students I would be mighty pissed at you had you approached me in the way you did your teacher because you are not getting to the point in a clear way. You are being coy and subversive and students who solve problems through that method waste my time and energy.
Pick a point. Express it clearly. Then do better next time. You do not want to be the student who made a big thing out of wanting to let a professor know they were wrong about 1 thing, if that's what you're getting at.
Ask KettleOfFish to reply with a one sentence explanation of what you really want here so we can help you do that. If you can't, consider that your communication style is getting in the way of your success with this issue. And I will be honest: if the way you explained this question is similar to how you explained your thinking during your essay, I can understand why your professor would have given you the feedback you did. I had a hard time getting your train of thought, and that's no good for your goals here either.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 2:22 PM on October 22, 2013 [5 favorites]
As a teacher of college students I would be mighty pissed at you had you approached me in the way you did your teacher because you are not getting to the point in a clear way. You are being coy and subversive and students who solve problems through that method waste my time and energy.
Pick a point. Express it clearly. Then do better next time. You do not want to be the student who made a big thing out of wanting to let a professor know they were wrong about 1 thing, if that's what you're getting at.
Ask KettleOfFish to reply with a one sentence explanation of what you really want here so we can help you do that. If you can't, consider that your communication style is getting in the way of your success with this issue. And I will be honest: if the way you explained this question is similar to how you explained your thinking during your essay, I can understand why your professor would have given you the feedback you did. I had a hard time getting your train of thought, and that's no good for your goals here either.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 2:22 PM on October 22, 2013 [5 favorites]
It's an online course and the professor should have some mechanism for discussion, as well as some online version of office hours, or should have a TA for those things. It's quite possible the test came with the textbook, and it's a publisher error. To get results, give the teacher the benefit of the doubt, and let the teacher know what you want.
Dear Professor Thing, I'm in your online course: Geography 202, Course ID XX00. In our test on Oct 20, one of the questions was: blah blah blah. I've checked the textbook, and page 00 states "blah blah blah." I have also checked wikipedia and the Encyclopedia Britannica.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Antilles
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/243947/Greater-Antilles
I'm requesting credit for the correct answer on the test. Thanks,
For the bad grade on the paper, write another email, responding to the comments, and stating why you feel the grade should be better.
posted by theora55 at 2:27 PM on October 22, 2013
Dear Professor Thing, I'm in your online course: Geography 202, Course ID XX00. In our test on Oct 20, one of the questions was: blah blah blah. I've checked the textbook, and page 00 states "blah blah blah." I have also checked wikipedia and the Encyclopedia Britannica.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Antilles
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/243947/Greater-Antilles
I'm requesting credit for the correct answer on the test. Thanks,
For the bad grade on the paper, write another email, responding to the comments, and stating why you feel the grade should be better.
posted by theora55 at 2:27 PM on October 22, 2013
This question is making me feel stabby. There are two issues at stake:
1. The question on the test that you feel was incorrect. You asked for clarification and haven't gotten it yet. Ask again and be polite. This isn't about you. If I did things the minute my students, I'm sure they would have a heart attack out of surprise. Give it a bit of time before you drag the provost or whomever into this. We're professors. We forget things. We get busy We have lives outside of your class. Be patient, for god's sake.
2. You have a problem with an essay. Telling your professor she made a huge mistake on a test is not correlated. If you have an issue with your essay grade, do what theora55 suggest and write a coherent explanation of why you feel the essay should be re-graded. Re-grading is not a right, it's something you have to convince us of because it is MORE WORK. No one is willing to re-grade every essay simply because the students feels the grade is unjust. Make a case for why you deserve an extra look.
Essentially this is coming off as a witch hunt based on some pretty fixable issues. Be patient. Ask nicely. Give it some time.
posted by mrfuga0 at 2:33 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
1. The question on the test that you feel was incorrect. You asked for clarification and haven't gotten it yet. Ask again and be polite. This isn't about you. If I did things the minute my students, I'm sure they would have a heart attack out of surprise. Give it a bit of time before you drag the provost or whomever into this. We're professors. We forget things. We get busy We have lives outside of your class. Be patient, for god's sake.
2. You have a problem with an essay. Telling your professor she made a huge mistake on a test is not correlated. If you have an issue with your essay grade, do what theora55 suggest and write a coherent explanation of why you feel the essay should be re-graded. Re-grading is not a right, it's something you have to convince us of because it is MORE WORK. No one is willing to re-grade every essay simply because the students feels the grade is unjust. Make a case for why you deserve an extra look.
Essentially this is coming off as a witch hunt based on some pretty fixable issues. Be patient. Ask nicely. Give it some time.
posted by mrfuga0 at 2:33 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Just based on the, to be generous, semicoherent writing and poor communication in this question, I'm thinking that the "nitpicky" comments on the paper are likely to be something the student should really not be shrugging off so easily. I'd suggest being much clearer than you are here to address the (by my count) three separate issues here separately, instead of interleaving them randomly.
1. The Antilles question. As people have noted upthread, and as you say you already did, send a single polite and clear email requesting credit for the correct answer and then give the teacher time to fix it. You're expecting an unrealistically fast turnaround and the teacher is, to my ear quite politely, telling you to hold your horses.
2. The paper. Read the "nitpicky" comments again, more generously and less defensively, and try to think about how and why your writing got this response. How would you rewrite the paper to address the comments? Could you have changed your approach or your writing process in a way that would've avoided comments of this kind? Since commenting on students' writing is hugely laborious, you can figure that even if the teacher was being a little curt, and even if they're not the best teacher in the world, they probably still didn't write anything except what they think would help you to understand their assessment and to improve as a writer. Try to take the comments in that spirit instead of feeling judged.
3. You also asked for help and information about "the history-related professions." This is likely to be a back-burner topic for a faculty member in the middle of a grading crunch, even though it's one they'd almost certainly love to talk to you more about. Be patient — but remind them again in a week or so, after this batch of grading is done.
This faculty member doesn't sound like someone my department would consider hiring ever again, for what it's worth.
What the hell? Apart from the Antilles test question itself, which is terrible and lazy pedagogy albeit in a very common large-intro-class way, nothing I can see here indicates anything bad or even atypical about the faculty member. I have absolutely no idea where you are seeing evidence that the teacher is a bad teacher, let alone grounds for firing/not rehiring, in this single student's subjective account. As someone who (like everyone ever to read any of them) has seen a large number of totally off-base student evaluations, this strikes me as a deeply weird overreading.
posted by RogerB at 3:07 PM on October 22, 2013 [15 favorites]
1. The Antilles question. As people have noted upthread, and as you say you already did, send a single polite and clear email requesting credit for the correct answer and then give the teacher time to fix it. You're expecting an unrealistically fast turnaround and the teacher is, to my ear quite politely, telling you to hold your horses.
2. The paper. Read the "nitpicky" comments again, more generously and less defensively, and try to think about how and why your writing got this response. How would you rewrite the paper to address the comments? Could you have changed your approach or your writing process in a way that would've avoided comments of this kind? Since commenting on students' writing is hugely laborious, you can figure that even if the teacher was being a little curt, and even if they're not the best teacher in the world, they probably still didn't write anything except what they think would help you to understand their assessment and to improve as a writer. Try to take the comments in that spirit instead of feeling judged.
3. You also asked for help and information about "the history-related professions." This is likely to be a back-burner topic for a faculty member in the middle of a grading crunch, even though it's one they'd almost certainly love to talk to you more about. Be patient — but remind them again in a week or so, after this batch of grading is done.
This faculty member doesn't sound like someone my department would consider hiring ever again, for what it's worth.
What the hell? Apart from the Antilles test question itself, which is terrible and lazy pedagogy albeit in a very common large-intro-class way, nothing I can see here indicates anything bad or even atypical about the faculty member. I have absolutely no idea where you are seeing evidence that the teacher is a bad teacher, let alone grounds for firing/not rehiring, in this single student's subjective account. As someone who (like everyone ever to read any of them) has seen a large number of totally off-base student evaluations, this strikes me as a deeply weird overreading.
posted by RogerB at 3:07 PM on October 22, 2013 [15 favorites]
I agree, I think KoF's friend is conflating two issues:
1. An incorrect answer on a test - this is an easy fix.
2. Unhappiness about a general mark for an essay and the comments thereof - this is much harder to fix.
I went through my share of appeals when I was at university, and my number one piece of advice to you is be super-clear to delineate the two issues in all communication. The reason for this is that one is an objective fact that was wrong, and one is a subjective interpretation, and dealing with them will be different in both cases.
Forgive me, KoF's friend, but you sound predominantly like someone who has sour grapes about a bad mark - whether this is justified or not, be aware that the the 4.0 student complaining about a grade is so common as to be cliched in university environments, especially if they are first years and unused to uni environments.
When and if you appeal your mark, jettison "nitpicky" or any kind of non-neutral language, and focus very clearly on how your answers addressed the questions (not the marker's comments. Ignore them).
You will probably be able to bump your grade a little bit higher. It will go better for you if you are polite, respectful, and wait more than a day between emails, that would be rather annoying for academic staff. Seeing people in person is better, and wait for them to come back to you, or four days, whichever comes first. Best of luck,
posted by smoke at 3:43 PM on October 22, 2013
1. An incorrect answer on a test - this is an easy fix.
2. Unhappiness about a general mark for an essay and the comments thereof - this is much harder to fix.
I went through my share of appeals when I was at university, and my number one piece of advice to you is be super-clear to delineate the two issues in all communication. The reason for this is that one is an objective fact that was wrong, and one is a subjective interpretation, and dealing with them will be different in both cases.
Forgive me, KoF's friend, but you sound predominantly like someone who has sour grapes about a bad mark - whether this is justified or not, be aware that the the 4.0 student complaining about a grade is so common as to be cliched in university environments, especially if they are first years and unused to uni environments.
When and if you appeal your mark, jettison "nitpicky" or any kind of non-neutral language, and focus very clearly on how your answers addressed the questions (not the marker's comments. Ignore them).
You will probably be able to bump your grade a little bit higher. It will go better for you if you are polite, respectful, and wait more than a day between emails, that would be rather annoying for academic staff. Seeing people in person is better, and wait for them to come back to you, or four days, whichever comes first. Best of luck,
posted by smoke at 3:43 PM on October 22, 2013
"I am confused about that date Columbus came to America; is it 1300?"
"sorry for being obtuse, could you clarify if it is 1300 or 1492?"
I think it's important to stop pretending to be confused about the answer. You know the correct answer. Assume that she knows the correct answer too. No need to send her a link to Wikipedia. That will just reinforce the idea that you want to have a discussion about geography, when you really want to have a discussion about points and grades.
Leave the history profession question out of it, leave the other paper with the bad grade out of it, and leave Puerto Rico out of it. Try something like, "Just to clarify, I'm confused about my grade, not about which islands make up the Greater Antilles. On my test I wrote that St. Thomas is not part of the Greater Antilles, but I didn't get credit. I'd like to get credit for answering the question correctly; would you be willing to revise my test score?"
posted by balacat at 5:17 PM on October 22, 2013 [5 favorites]
"sorry for being obtuse, could you clarify if it is 1300 or 1492?"
I think it's important to stop pretending to be confused about the answer. You know the correct answer. Assume that she knows the correct answer too. No need to send her a link to Wikipedia. That will just reinforce the idea that you want to have a discussion about geography, when you really want to have a discussion about points and grades.
Leave the history profession question out of it, leave the other paper with the bad grade out of it, and leave Puerto Rico out of it. Try something like, "Just to clarify, I'm confused about my grade, not about which islands make up the Greater Antilles. On my test I wrote that St. Thomas is not part of the Greater Antilles, but I didn't get credit. I'd like to get credit for answering the question correctly; would you be willing to revise my test score?"
posted by balacat at 5:17 PM on October 22, 2013 [5 favorites]
Just one more comment: When the instructor replied, "I'll get back to you later; I have a lot of paper to grade," that may not have been evasion. It may well have been an honest acknowledgement of your friend's email and an explanation for why a substantive response might take a while.
If I am working 10-12 hour days keeping up with immediate demands, I am likely to send a similar email. what it means is: I have seen your email, I intend to respond, but I cannot respond now. It's a lot better than complete silence.
posted by brianogilvie at 6:28 PM on October 22, 2013
If I am working 10-12 hour days keeping up with immediate demands, I am likely to send a similar email. what it means is: I have seen your email, I intend to respond, but I cannot respond now. It's a lot better than complete silence.
posted by brianogilvie at 6:28 PM on October 22, 2013
I'm a little surprised by all of the responses suggesting you escalate this to the department chair or the dean. I have been a grad student and a professor at a large university, and I know lots of people who have served as department chairs, and even a few deans. And I can't possibly overemphasis how little any of them would care if a student alerted them that a single multiple choice question on a single test was being scored incorrectly. Their most likely response would be to roll their eyes and either ignore you or tell you they're "looking into it."
You sort of alerted the professor, except that you were very unclear (since you pretended to be confused about the answer). If you really, really want to keep pursuing this, you can send one more email. It should lead off with an apology for being unclear before. Then you can say - "this question marks answer b as correct, but I see from the textbook that answer c is actually correct. Is it possible the question was marked incorrectly?"
And then that's it. If you don't hear back, or if you don't get the response you're hoping for, I advise you to drop it.
As for the paper... you can try to argue your grade, I suppose, but you'd be better off just taking the comments to heart for next time. Almost none of my students have ever felt that they deserved a low grade. Obviously I disagreed.
posted by Ragged Richard at 7:38 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
You sort of alerted the professor, except that you were very unclear (since you pretended to be confused about the answer). If you really, really want to keep pursuing this, you can send one more email. It should lead off with an apology for being unclear before. Then you can say - "this question marks answer b as correct, but I see from the textbook that answer c is actually correct. Is it possible the question was marked incorrectly?"
And then that's it. If you don't hear back, or if you don't get the response you're hoping for, I advise you to drop it.
As for the paper... you can try to argue your grade, I suppose, but you'd be better off just taking the comments to heart for next time. Almost none of my students have ever felt that they deserved a low grade. Obviously I disagreed.
posted by Ragged Richard at 7:38 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Mod note: One comment deleted. OP, you can ignore answers that do not seem useful, and take only the ones that seem useful to you.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:12 PM on October 22, 2013
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:12 PM on October 22, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
If it's the former - that the textbook is different from what you'd always heard - it could be that the professor has to go by what the textbook says because it's an issue that's just kind of controversial and that's the way the professor has chosen to settle the issue for that class. That's often the case with history, where people have always heard thus-and-such was the case, but current scholarship has suggested something different, and there's a few years where the historians are hashing it out. If it's the other - that the professor is just a flake - maybe asking your advisor or the dean of the department for guidance would help.
But yeah, I'm a bit confused what the problem actually is - because first you say that it's that the professor doesn't know a specific question, but then you go on to describe the professor just acting flaky, and that's different.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:54 AM on October 22, 2013 [2 favorites]