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+--- Thread: StraighterLine: do I have to complete everything to finish a course? (/Thread-StraighterLine-do-I-have-to-complete-everything-to-finish-a-course)
StraighterLine: do I have to complete everything to finish a course? - jch - 10-24-2023
I'm currently working my way through the StraighterLine Physics I lab course. It looks like I'll hit the 700/1000 points 70% pass threshold after doing all of the quizzes and 7 or 8 of the ten lab worksheets. Does anyone know if SL lets you submit blank assignments or contact support to skip them like SDC? The lab course states explicitly that assignments not matching certain criteria will be rejected and get a zero, but if that still counts as done I would be okay. I don't want to stretch this course out any longer than it needs to be.
RE: StraighterLine: do I have to complete everything to finish a course? - jch - 11-10-2023
Coming back around to answer my own question: yes, completing everything is likely required in order to finish a course on SL. The grading policies make it clear that courses will not be considered complete and eligible for transcription unless all required coursework is complete; incomplete assignments may result in an academic hold. They specifically state that all coursework must be attempted and submitted regardless of a student's overall grade in the course.
Because of these policies, I proceeded with the intention of completing everything, with varying degrees of effort and quality. I focused my efforts on the easier work and the lab reports worth the most points, and rushed through the rest. However, on one of the bigger lab reports, I was shocked to receive a grade of zero after investing many days of hard work. Apparently, the grader didn't like one of my photos, despite it depicting a complete experimental setup, and completely rejected the assignment under SL's draconian policies. However, the SL student dashboard still showed the item as complete. Because I decided to appeal, I don't know what the outcome would have been if I tried to complete the course with that zero in place. A week after my complaint, SL reversed and issued me a grade of 100% on the assignment. It's crazy, inhumane, and capricious to give a student a grade of zero for a trivial complaint and then next week decide that the assignment actually deserves a 100. That was only one of many exasperating and frustrating moments I experienced in the course. I'm glad I finally finished it, and would strongly recommend staying away from SL and their physics lab. See more details in my forthcoming course review.
RE: StraighterLine: do I have to complete everything to finish a course? - Chankosumo - 11-10-2023
Thank you for your feedback. At one point I was considering taking this course. Now I'm glad I didn't!
StraighterLine: do I have to complete everything to finish a course? - jch - 11-11-2023
(11-10-2023, 11:59 PM)Chankosumo Wrote: Thank you for your feedback. At one point I was considering taking this course. Now I'm glad I didn't!
I don't know why I didn't find their posts until just now, but forum member Bubbychub took this same SL lab earlier this year and had similar experiences. SL indeed rejected their rushed or incomplete lab worksheets.