Hi,



To answer briefly... assuming there were four members in the group, if one member does not submit at all, then the WebPA algorithm will automatically apply a multiplication factor to the scores from the three submitters.  This is probably where your academic has found the x1.3(3333..) factor.



If the non-submitter got 0% as a final grade, then either the non-submisison penalty was 100% (so they got nothing), or the peer assessment weighting was 100% and the other submitters gave them 0 marks overall.



There's a step-by-step worked example of the WebPA algorithm here, that will explain things in more detail:



http://www.webpaproject.com/?q=node/126



Just click through the pages to see each stage in action.



Depending on how the assessment is setup, e.g. peer-and-self or peer-only, things deviate from the example, but the essence is still the same.  



Unfortunately, there's no way you can change or control the algorithm through the system, other than altering the peer assessment weighting applied.  The only alternative would be to get stuck in to the code and write a new algorithm.



--

Paul Newman

----------------------------------------   

IT Services Specialist (E-Learning Systems)   

IT Services : E-Learning Systems Team   

Loughborough University   

----------------------------------------







From: WebPA [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of d'Antin, L

Subject: WebPA Marks



Hello all,



I wondered if I could run something by you to get your advice. I have a member of staff who has been piloting WebPA for us here at the University of Aberdeen. He has found that if there is a member of the group who has not participated and has been given a grade of zero that this pulls the average of the other members grade down. 



The tutor would like to limit the maximum factor to 1, it seems to be a factor of 1.3, ie multiplying the grade he gives the group by 1.3.

Is this as it should be or do you think we have set this up incorrectly? We wonder if it is possible to change the default settings for more control of the marking?



He also tried to pull out the information to a spread sheet where he would modify the raw data with an IF statement. Unfortunately he could not download to a spread sheet, instead just receiving errors. 



Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated.