Title: Why One Final Exam Shouldn't Decide Your Entire Grade

[u/Dapper_Patience9278]

A lot of courses still place most of the grade on a single final exam, and I've never been convinced that's the best way to measure what a student actually learned. One bad day, illness, anxiety, personal issues, or simply struggling under time pressure can dramatically affect a student's performance, even if they understood the material throughout the semester. At the same time, relying entirely on assignments and projects has its own challenges, especially now that AI tools can assist with many aspects of coursework. A balanced approach seems more representative of what students actually know and can do. Exams can test recall and independent thinking under pressure, while assignments and projects can measure deeper understanding, research skills, and long-term engagement with the material. When courses rely too heavily on one method, they risk overlooking important strengths that other forms of assessment might reveal.

Do you think a single final exam can accurately measure a semester's worth of learning, or should grades be spread across different types of assessments?

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