This message is not applicable to Team USA. If you are part of that group, please disregard this.

Hello all. It has taken me a while to figure out the Russian Bear quiz grades because it was difficult to evaluate. This was due to the following circumstances:

• I was combining peer evaluation with my own evaluation.
• I had multiple choice questions and long answers, with completely different grading criteria.
• I had two separate groups doing separate work.

The point is that, after reviewing all the information, I was surprised because of the following:

• The first long answer asks you to defend the arguments of the opposing team in the debate, something which few of you did at all, and most did with way too little detail, considering the time you had. I am not interested in answers "more of them should have spoken" or "they should have argued better". These answers are entirely anecdotal.
• The second long answer was taken more seriously, but many of you failed to prove that you had studied the opponent's presentation, which was the whole point.
• The four multiple choice questions were very easy, and yet hardly any of you answered them all correctly.
• The peer evaluations were more untrustworthy than ever, with very bizzarre grading which leads me to think that I should not trust you to do that any longer under present conditions.

This quiz is the first time that the level has dropped dramatically (there are a couple exceptions), and I don't want this to happen. Therefore, I have decided to give you all the opportunity to re-do this quiz on the date of our final exam (thus replacing the grade which currently stands in its place). I will probably ask you the same questions, and expect far better answers. In this course we are not going to have a final exam, but this is a warning sign that, if you don't perform to standard, you will have to work further.

See you on Tuesday. Make sure you are prepared.