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Statistical formula to predict student grade

  • 10-03-2013 07:09PM
    #1
    blatantrereg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,743 ✭✭✭


    A class has three tests. If a student is sick for a test I want to estimate their mark based on how they did in the other two. [There's a significant difference in the difficulty of the tests, so I don't want to just ignore the missed test in the grading as it might unfairly penalise/benefit the student.]

    How about this:

    Average of missed test = A.
    Standard deviation of missed test = As
    Mean number of standard deviations from class average of student's mark for attended tests = Ns

    grade = A + As * Ns


Comments

  • #2
    bnt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,228 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    I would think along those lines too. It's related to "grading to the curve". Say your student is typically 0.5 σ below the mean on the other tests, assign him a score 0.5 σ below the mean on the missed test. But that assumes that the results of the tests do indeed fit the curve ...

    In its pure form, fascism is the sum total of all irrational reactions of the average human character.

    ― Wilhelm Reich



  • #3
    Neil3030
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,154 ✭✭✭✭Neil3030


    Would you also need to assume no interaction between the difficulty of the test and this students' ordinal score? Say they nail the easy tests, but freak out when they get a bit harder. I would suggest making sure this isn't the case.


  • #4
    blatantrereg
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,743 ✭✭✭blatantrereg


    Yes the performance on the easier tests measure thoroughness and a more basic level of comprehension than the harder test. So it would be incorrect to assume performance on one would be equivalent to the other alright. There's going to be a resit anyway - so no need to deal with this issue at all it seems.


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