Your grade, made simple.
Four components, two big ones and two small ones. Know how each piece works and there are no surprises. The cumulative lecture exam at the end can also lift your lowest TBL, so the system rewards finishing strong.
Four components, weighted to your performance.
Your course grade comes from four buckets: two big ones (TBL and lab exams, 45% each) and two small ones (the cumulative lecture exam and the end-of-day lab quizzes, 5% each). Together they add to 100%.
Team-Based Learning
7 TBLs, 40 points each. Every TBL counts. No drops. The cumulative lecture exam can lift your lowest TBL.
Lab Practical Exams
7 lab practicals across the term. ID-based stations on slides, models, charts, and cadaver. Every exam counts; none is dropped.
Cumulative Lecture Exam
One comprehensive exam at the end of the term, covering every module. Doubles as the TBL safety net.
End-of-Day Lab Quizzes
A short community-accountability quiz at the end of most labs. No drops. Show up and you earn the class score.
A strong cumulative exam lifts your lowest TBL.
There are no dropped TBL scores this term. Instead, your cumulative lecture exam does double duty. After the term ends, if your cumulative exam percentage is higher than your single lowest TBL percentage, that lowest TBL is raised to match the cumulative exam before your TBL average is computed.
The rule only ever helps you. It can never lower a score, and it never affects your other six TBLs. Prepare hard for the cumulative exam and you can repair one rough TBL week.
This replaces the older "drop the lowest" approach because it actually rewards growth: a student who finishes strong gets credit for that growth, not just for having one off day.
What each piece actually looks like.
Seven TBLs, one per week
Each TBL is worth 40 points and runs on the team's TBL day with your assigned team. Each one has two graded parts:
- iRAT (individual readiness assessment): you take it on your own. Weighted 3x, worth 30 points.
- tRAT (team readiness assessment): the same quiz, taken again with your team. Weighted 1x, worth 10 points.
Because each TBL totals 40 points, the iRAT alone is 75% of your TBL grade. Most teams score 90% or higher on the tRAT, which means your individual preparation is what drives your TBL outcome. After the tRAT, you and your team work through clinical application questions and the case reveal. Application questions are not graded, but be ready to think out loud if called on. No make-ups for a missed TBL. No TBL scores are dropped.
Seven lab practicals, ID-based
There are seven lab practical exams across the term. Each covers a week's content with roughly 20% spiral review of earlier material.
Format: 50 minutes, 25 stations, 2 questions per station for 50 questions total. 90 seconds per station; you rotate on a timer. You identify anatomy from microscope slides, pictures, charts, models, and prosected material. Spelling counts. Bring a pen; pencils are not permitted.
Conduct: Doors lock when the exam begins. If you are late, you cannot enter. Do not look around the room or at other stations; fold your paper to cover your answers. Failure to follow exam instructions results in collection of your exam, graded as-is. No make-ups, and no exams are dropped.
One comprehensive exam at the end
The cumulative lecture exam is given at the end of the term, with equal representation of material from every module. It is weighted at 5% of your course grade.
It is also the TBL safety net: if your cumulative exam score is higher than your single lowest TBL score, that lowest TBL is raised to match the cumulative exam before your TBL average is computed. The exact date and time are posted on the Canvas course homepage.
A community-accountability quiz
At the end of nearly every lab session, one person from one randomly selected group answers a single question covering that day's lab content. The whole class earns the same score based on that one answer.
Students who are present earn the class score; students who are absent earn a zero. No make-ups. No lab quiz scores are dropped. The format is intentional: your lab quiz grade depends on the readiness of everyone in the room, so use lab time well and show up for each other.
Letter grades, no curves.
The scale is fixed and applied to your final weighted percentage. Plan for roughly 20 or more hours of study per week outside of class to earn a passing grade in this intensive format.
This is a mastery-based course. Attending class and completing assignments does not by itself guarantee a passing grade. Strong performance requires active engagement and demonstrated understanding.
A small bonus for consistent effort.
Scholar Points reward proactive learning over the full term. They are not extra credit for missed work. Maximum bonus is 3.0%, applied at the end of the term. Choose one path to the 2.0% (tutoring or community hosting), then layer the 1.0% performance bonus on top.
Tutoring engagement
18 verified hours of approved on-campus tutoring across the term. A maximum of 3 hours per week is counted, which spreads tutoring across at least 6 weeks.
Community hosting
Log 18 hours or more of community engagement across the term, either hosting or attending community study sessions. The 2.0% bonus is all or nothing: 18 hours earns it; under 18 earns zero. Applied at the end of the term.
Academic performance
Maintain an average of 80% or higher across lab exams, lab quizzes, and TBL. Only awarded if you also complete Path A or Path B.
No other extra credit will be given in this course. Scholar Points are the only path to any extra credit. Please do not ask. No exceptions.
No late work. No make-ups.
All quizzes, exams, lab work, and assignments are due by their scheduled dates. No late work is accepted and there are no make-ups. All in-class assessments are completed in person; if you are absent, you earn a zero. The cumulative-exam-lifts-lowest-TBL rule is the only built-in safety net. The key to this policy is simple: do not miss class.
Open the grade calculator to see where you stand.
Enter your averages and the calculator weights them automatically. It also models the cumulative-exam TBL boost, so you can see exactly how much a strong finish could move your grade.
Open the calculator