A Math Forum Project

Lucent-Rutgers
Problem of the Week
 Problem of the Week Logo
_________________________________
Return to Main Page
_________________________________

Scoring System for Lucent/Rutgers Problem of the Week

If you've sent solutions to us in the past, you know it's not enough to just get the right answer. We are also looking for good, clear communication and effective use of problem-solving strategies.

We will score each submission on six categories. In each category you will be given one of four ratings:

Novice - "Just starting out"
Apprentice - "On the right track, but not quite there"
Practitioner - "Got it"
Expert - "Wow! Above expectations in some way"
We will include on the web site the solutions of students who reach at least the Practitioner level in the first five categories, and at least the Apprentice level for the last category. As always, you will have the chance to keep working on and revising your original solution to improve your results and scoring. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity.

We will score submissions based on how well you do in each of the following six categories:

Problem Solving
  • Interpretation: interpreting the problem correctly and attempting to solve all of the parts.
  • Strategy: picking a good strategy and applying it well - achieving success through skill instead of luck.
  • Accuracy: getting the calculations and details correct, including writing correct statements and equations.
Communication
  • Completeness: explaining all the steps taken to solve the problem.
  • Clarity: explaining all the steps in such a way that a fellow student would understand, and making an effort to check formatting, vocabulary, and spelling.
  • Reflection: checking the answer, reflecting on its reasonableness, summarizing the process, and connecting it to prior knowledge and experience.
The mentor will score your response using these categories and give written feedback to tell you how you did and how you might improve your submission. You'll get that feedback as an email message. The message will also contain a URL that you can use to revise your answer or to make comments. Thanks for your patience as we get this new system in place, and good luck!

Back to the Problem