You're right Barry, I find my grading is the most fair if a can grade all the students in a single sitting and if I have a rubric or scoresheet that forces me to look for the same set of things from each student and award the same range of values when I find it.
Hi Charles:
Yes, sometimes an instructor will have favorite students, individuals they appreciate being around more than others in the class. And though there may be favorites, we can't treat them any different, especially when it comes to grading. No student should ever feel that others in the class are getting preferential traetment.
Regards, Barry
My biggest challenge is being consistent with the grading.
And not let the personality’s effect how I grade.
Some students are more outgoing than others.
And it can appear they are doing more work in class.
Hi Rob:
You've listed a few good points about evaluation systems. Consistency is very important, as is being fair. Following the same grading guidelines for all students should assure this is accomplished.
Regards, Barry
The challenge is to make the grading system accurately reflect each student's total knowledge and ability at the end of the course. The grading system must:
cover each objective of the course so I can assess how well they met the objectives and also how well I met the objectives.
be applied fairly and consistently to each student.
be a motivating factor for the students as they complete the work for the course.
Hi Craig:
Absolutely - any kind of assessment (quiz, test) for that matter, anything that's graded has to be fairly applied to all students. Students lose respect for instructors they feel play favorites.
Regards, Barry
Being consistant. If you do for one student you do for all. I learned this concept very early in my instructing carear. The students talk among themselves and a point here or there will come back to haunt you. Stick to your guns. On the first day we discuss the grading policies and that is final, I do have make-up testing on the days I set, so there is no confussion. Works very well for me to date.
Hi John:
Good - importance on student learning objective (SLO) and course objectives will assure the student gets the minimum required course content. From there, anything else that's relevant and useful for the the student as worker is useful as well.
Regards, Barry
When creating a test or quiz, I find it important to always ask myself if the questions are relevant. By asking, "is this important", this helps me to create a test that is meaningful and valuable.
Hi James:
Many schools use a grading system established by the institution. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it does limit how creative an instructor can be, I'm sure.
You have some leeway with labs. Great! That's where I'd put the focus of my assessment. And it makesense in your career field that lab would be an especially important aspect of the students training.
Regards, Barry
Hi Jan:
There's probably many and varied opinions about your question. Some factors such as the type of training, the level of training, and the level of competence required all play into the degree of testing.
As instructors we aim to assure our students have the needed proficiency and knowledge to be successful in the particular career category. How that's verified (tested) and to what degree is just going to be varied. If the Student Learning Objectives (SLO) are met, then, in a sense, the testing is a secondary concern. But...usually it's the testing that determines if the SLO's have been met!
Regards, Barry
I teach at a post-secondary automotive school where all of the grading is setup by the corporation. I am quite limited in setting up my own but there is a small amount of leeway in grading hands-on lab sheets.
How much is enough? How much of the material covered in a given unit should be tested? Is there a fair percentage and if there is, what is it? I usually try to test on about 80% of what was covered, but should this number be higher or lower? It is a question that concerns me.
Hi Brenda:
What you're describing is a very specific kind of class that doesn't follow the usual rules. I think there might be some theory or general information that might be tested on - perhaps at the beginning of the term, perhaps not.
Regards, Barry
as I stated before, the final product is the system to evaluate. if it is wrong then we discuss what happened and do it again
Hi Steve:
I think the best tests are ones that address the key information related to the learning objectives. If these tests can reflect the individual differences in students, all the better.
Regards, Barry
Making sure the system is fair and fairly administered to all. Furthermore, since not all students learn the same way, a written test to determine learned material may work fine for some while a practical test would work better for others. Finding the balance is key.
Hi David:
Recognizing the differences in student learning styles and developing a fair evaluation system that addresses the whole of the class is a challenging feat - but must be strived for in order to assure fair and uniform testing practices have been followed.
Regards, Barry
Hi Joseph:
Great and important points here. It's the learning and comprehension that ultimately matters.
Regards, Barry
I find the biggest challenge is recognizing the different learning styles and then developing a fair and impartial evaluation system which can reward all styles for their hard work and commitments to their training.
