Grading Policy
Understanding how grading works in this course
Table of contents
Grading Philosophy
This course uses standards-based grading, which focuses on demonstrating mastery of core competencies.
Standards-based grading is designed to:
- Reduce anxiety by providing multiple opportunities
- Provide clarity through detailed specifications
- Encourage growth by allowing revision
- Emphasize learning over point accumulation
Your grade reflects what you know by the end of the course, not how quickly you learned it.
Grade Breakdown
As mentioned in the syllabus, the final grade consists of 15% in-class polls, 25% final project, and 60% standards-based grading that is based on demonstrating mastery in five core competencies:
Programming Fundamentals (12%)
This competency covers the building blocks of programming: working with variables, expressions, and types; writing functions with parameters and return values; implementing control flow using conditionals and loops; reading and tracing code execution; and understanding how data flows through programs via parameter passing.
Data Structures & Algorithms (12%)
This competency focuses on organizing and manipulating data effectively: creating and working with lists, 2D arrays, dictionaries, sets, and tuples; understanding recursive functions; selecting appropriate data structures for different problems; and understanding basic algorithmic thinking including complexity trade-offs.
Software Engineering Practices (12%)
This competency emphasizes professional coding habits: writing test cases to verify correctness; documenting code with clear docstrings and comments; following style conventions for readability (see style guide); applying systematic debugging strategies; decomposing complex problems into manageable functions; and writing reflections that demonstrate understanding.
Object-Oriented Programming & Design (12%)
This competency covers designing programs with objects: creating classes with appropriate attributes and methods; understanding encapsulation and maintaining object state; designing larger programs using OOP principles; refactoring code to improve structure; and making justified design choices.
Fabrication & Physical Computing (12%)
This competency bridges code and physical output: operating the knitting machine safely and independently; generating valid Knitout machine code; connecting algorithmic concepts to physical patterns; troubleshooting fabrication errors; and iterating designs within physical constraints.
Evidence Points Map
Each competency is assessed multiple times across the semester:
| Activity | Prog Fund | Data Struct | Software Eng | OOP | Fabrication |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Training | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| HW1 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - |
| HW2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
| HW3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
| HW4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| HW5 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | - |
| Total possible | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
Note: Some activities may be worth 2 evidence points for a competency due to their complexity or scope.
How Assignments Are Graded
Specifications, Not Points
Each assignment has 3-6 specifications (concrete requirements). Each specification is graded:
- Satisfactory: Meets all requirements
- Not Yet: Does not meet requirements
- Unassessable: No Submission
To earn evidence points for a competency, you must meet all relevant specifications. For example, if HW3 has 5 specifications and you meet 4 of them, you receive “Not Yet” for the related competencies. You can then revise to address the missing specification.
Each assignment page lists detailed specifications showing exactly what “satisfactory” work looks like. These are objective criteria, not subjective judgments.
Feedback
We will provide detailed feedback on how you can improve the submission if some evidence points are not awarded. The feedback will also include information on the following to help you track your progress:
- Current percentage for each competency
- Evidence points earned vs. possible
- Projected final grade
Note that for the “Software Engineering Practices (12%)”, it includes code style, which is something that takes time to develop. Therefore, in this intro-level course, minor style issues (spacing, occasional unclear name) will be noted in feedback but won’t result in “Not Yet” unless pervasive. We will reserve “Not Yet” for more major issues in the SEP competency.
How Fabrication Artifact is Graded
Starting with HW2, some assignments include a fabrication component where you create a physical knitted artifact based on your code. Completing the artifact fabrication is required so that the corresponding evidence points for the Fabrication and Physical Computing competency can be awarded.
Code First, Fabrication Follows
We will employ a separate timeline for fabrication artifacts submission:
- Still submit your code by the regular assignment deadline
- Fabrication can be done the day of during in-class fabrication session or before the 3-week resubmission window closes
- Submit photo and brief description of your fabricated artifact
This means that you don’t have to worry about the situation if your code does not yet work before the assignment deadline or if you need to do resubmissions. You can wait until your code is ready to go and then fabricate as long as it’s within the time frame.
Fabrication Opportunities
There will be scheduled fabrication sessions/open hours:
- In-class fabrication sessions (see schedule on mainpage)
- TA-monitored fabrication open hours (check schedule on Ed Discussion)
- Textiles Hub public open hours (check schedule on Ed Discussion)
You are NOT required to fabricate during the in-class session on the day the assignment is due. As long as your code works, you can fabricate any time within the 3-week resubmission window. We hope the flexibility in the scheduling can help relieve the stress about doing fabrication on the machine.
Example timeline for HW2:
Thursday 2/19: Code due, choose to not fabricate during in-class session
Tuesday 2/24: Feedback returned, code receives "Satisfactory"
Thursday 2/26 - Tuesday 3/10: Fabrication window (3 weeks)
Friday 2/28: You fabricate during TA open hours
Friday 2/28: Submit photo + description
If your code needs revision, you can fabricate after your resubmission receives “Satisfactory”, as long as it’s still within the original 3-week window.
What to Submit for Fabrication
For each assignment with a fabrication component, submit:
- Photo of your knitted artifact
- Clear, well-lit photo showing the full pattern
- Include a ruler or size reference if specified
- Brief description (2-3 sentences)
- Which pattern variation you generated
- Any observations about the physical result vs. your expectations
- Any challenges encountered during fabrication
Where to submit: Upload to the corresponding assignments for fabrication artifacts on Gradescope.
How Project is Graded
The final project counts towards 25% of your final grade and is graded holistically with the following components:
- Project Proposal (2% of course grade), due Week 12, Thursday 4/9 11:59PM
- Check-in Presentation (3% of course grade), due Week 15, Thursday 4/28 during lecture
- Final Report and Code (20% of course grade), due Finals Week, Friday 5/15 11:59PM
Please refer to the final project description here for more details.
Late Work and Resubmission Policy
Deadlines and Late Submission
All assignments are due at 11:59 PM on the listed due date (typically Thursdays).
If you miss the original deadline:
- You may submit late, which counts as using your one resubmission opportunity for that assignment
- No penalty for late submission if within the resubmission window (3 weeks after feedback)
- You will not have another opportunity to revise after late submission
Example: HWn due Thursday Week X
- Submit on time → receive feedback Tuesday Week X+1 → can revise once within Week X+2~X+4
- Submit late (Week X+1) → counts as your revision → no further revisions allowed
Resubmission Rules
You can improve your work based on feedback:
- One resubmission per assignment allowed
- One resubmission per week maximum across all assignments
- Within 3 weeks after feedback is released
- Revision form required explaining what you changed and why
Example timeline:
- HWn due Thursday Week X
- Feedback returned: Tuesday Week X+1
- Can resubmit by: Tuesdays in Week X+2, Week X+3, or Week X+4
- After Tuesday Week X+4: Too late to resubmit HWn
The week number is extended accordingly for spring break weeks.
Any academic integrity violations found for a specific assignment will void the chance of resubmission for that assignment.
Accommodations
If you need extended time beyond the resubmission policy due to illness, emergency, or other serious circumstances:
- Contact your class dean
- Email instructor with documentation if needed
- We will work with you to arrange reasonable accommodations
Calculating Your Final Grade
A final letter grade is still required, so below we outline how we compute the final grade with the evidence points.
- For each competency, compute the percentage of earned evidence points out of total (“Not Yet” may count as a fraction depending on the amount of mastery shown, and “Unassessable” will count as 0 point).
- Add the weighted sum of the five competencies, participation, and final project (each competency worth 12%, participation 15%, final project 25%).
- Check against the listed ranges provided by the registrar.
An A+ is rare and reserved for truly exceptional work throughout the semester. It requires:
- Demonstrated mastery: All evidence points earned
- Outstanding final project: Project score ≥ 95/100
- Consistent engagement: ≥15 poll responses and active participation in class, online discussion forums, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some frequently asked questions. More questions? Come to office hours or post on Ed Discussion!
Q: What if I don’t meet a specification?
A: You receive “Not Yet” with specific feedback. You can revise once within 3 weeks.
Q: Can I still get an A if I need revisions?
A: Yes! Revisions are penalty free.
Q: What if I submit late?
A: Late submission counts as your one resubmission opportunity. No further revisions allowed.
Q: How do I know if my work is “satisfactory”?
A: Each assignment page lists detailed specifications. Read them carefully before starting.
Q: Can I lose evidence points once earned?
A: No. Once earned, evidence points stay earned.