I will prepare my exams earlier to meet deadlines. I will construct examples that are concise, which eliminates time consumption. I will incorporate some of the suggested web sites to make my grading easier.
Indeed true Andrea and I've used this method with much success in the past. We really don't compromise anything with this approach but we gain so much in grading efficiency.
Essays can be a big challenge Monte. Over the years, the underlining method has worked well for me. It's amazing because not only does it save you time, it also helps students refine their thinking and produce clear and on target answers.
I like to use essays at times. I never thought to have students underline their important points. I also assume that studens know what is expected of them. It never occured to me to be more specific in the directions. I just let them do their thing. I can be more structured and have clearer and more specific directions. I am so into getting the right answer I don't care how they do it. The I spend too much time trying to find out what they mean. That's a waste of my time too.
I really like the idea of having students put answers off to the side, away from the question and highlighting the key points. This makes grading simpler, while not dumbing down the assignments.
I think i would like to vary my tests and maybe offer some online..,.
I have found that mixing things up helps me to assess whether my students have truly grasped what has been taught. A little multiple choice, short answer, true and false, and a short essay.
Using the electronic gradebook is great. It is much better now that I am understanding excel more.
I like to have specific objectives that I am looking for in student work. I still review the assignments holistically, but with some specific benchmarks and goals, I am able to quickly and easily assess how well my instruction methods are working.
So true Diana! I think it's important to note that a lot of times, what we do to streamline grading can have important benefits to the student learning experience too. So we get twice as much out of our efforts.
Excellent to hear Katheryn. I'd love to learn more about what you did to improve your grading process. Could be helpful for others.
When I first started teaching, I had a difficult way of giveing the exam and grading it. It was killing me. I thought there has to be a better way and I revised my whole exams and quizzes and a better way to grade them. This has been a life saver and time saver!
streanlining to a few key words has really helped me with the grading. If the student has 2-3 words of importance, helps them to understand what they are leaning and helps me with the grading.I' am trying to include this as much as possible with all students.
I offer short quizzes periodically throughout the course in a short answer or multiple choice format. If I allow students to use their text, I request that the page number where the answer was found is written. By doing this, I can ensure the students are reading the material and applying it properly when answering test questions. If a wrong answer/page number is written, the correction is made immediately to allow the studnet a chance to see their error, not just by teacher response, but what is actually found in the text.
There is one assignment in particular that is very time consuming to grade. The students have to show their understanding of 7 principles by creating a scenario and applying the 7 principles. In order to streamline the grading process, I will have the students highlight the definitive information that they need to show me that they understand the material.
Excellent to hear Herschel. It's amazing how much time scantrons can save. Highlighting works great too. Keep it up!
I turned most of my test into scan tron but for essay test I will have them highlight the important parts of their essays.
As a Composition instructor, I've found grading essays to be an all weekend event. Often it is quite tiring and frustrating... especially after the end of the first 8h.
I think the true key is pacing. Although there is a deadline, it does the students, grading, and self little good if only three hours of sleep is received each night. The stress on the mind and body does not help the students gain the knowledge they need and it is not fair for the professor to possibly place her health and personal relationships on the back burner.
A facilitator must give herself a little slack. Half an hour of walking outside, a promise of eating out when the task is complete, and ignoring how much laundry must be done, is all essential to ensure the students receive the fair and constructive feedback needed to assist them in their next college course.
Of course, the difficulty is allowing the professor to grant herself a little personal freedom, defeating the stress monster, and having the self-discipline to continue to grade even after a walk in the beautiful 78 degree sunshine in Florida. I think that is where the true test lies.
That sounds wonderful Anita! It's great when our administrations come together and adopt grading tools that save time for all faculty members. This brings up an important point. If you've discovered a grading system that has made you more efficient, sometimes it makes sense to share it with your administration so that it might be considered for global adoption.
I am thankful that the school I teach at uses an on line grading system. It has made a big difference in time management for me and gives accountability to the students. It has a discussion page as well. It is very user friendly and well received by students.
