[HarryHirsch]

Point # 2, the complaint that grades are based on one exam at the end of the course is actually a feature. At my lovely State College I'm teaching a course with weekly graded lab reports. You grade the blasted things because each of them counts towards the final grade, but there is no time to review or critique them. From the shape of what the kids hand in, they need much guidance and critiquing, and we are failing them by not giving it. They are clearly incapable of independent study at this stage.

[endzone]

indeed. people like to imagine an idealised world of highly able, motivated and disciplined students. why design an education system for a set of students that doesn't really exist?