Final answer:
Weekly quizzes that don't contribute to the final grade are typically used for formative evaluation to help students and instructors gauge understanding and areas for improvement. They offer a consistent way to apply and review material, which can assist in preparing for the midterm and final exam.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a student is told that weekly quizzes will not count toward the final grade and only the midterm and final exam will, the quizzes are most likely being used for formative assessment. Formative assessment is designed to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning. Quizzes, in this case, aid students in understanding and confirming the knowledge they have gained throughout the week. The feedback from these quizzes can help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work. Moreover, quizzes help ensure that students are keeping up with the course material on a regular basis, which can also help them prepare for the midterm and final exam.
Although the quizzes do not directly contribute to the final grade, their role in the educational process is significant. They can be used to collect data on student performance and may categorically report the understanding level of the students. Alongside multiple-choice, the short-response questions on these quizzes help with testing a range of difficulties and various types of learning outcomes.
Therefore, despite not counting directly for the final grade calculation, weekly quizzes serve a critical role in providing a consistent opportunity for students to apply, review, and evaluate their understanding of the course material.