ABSTRACT
In determining the number of points for each lab, one suggestion is to allocate points in a way that makes grading easy. In allocating points within a rubric, single sections with many points can make grading consistency difficult. If grading a program depends solely upon its processing of instructor test data, then design, structure, and maintainability are unimportant. A common analogy involves grading history papers. Historians expect students to write in a logical structure, organized paragraphs, grammatical sentences, etc. Overall, point allocation provides a measure of importance, and lack of points indicate qualities with no value. The allocation of points is complicated, however, in that students should lose credit for bad practices, but not earn credit for following standard practice. The division of points into small sections aids fair and consistent grading, and the allocation of points suggests the practical course goals and themes.
