Hi Ron:
Sometimes it can be hard. Trial and error. Adapting to differing class dynamics. Yes, it can difficult. Many times students will use grading rubrics to set up their assessment system because of the basic fairness, consistency, and objectivity a rubric provides.
Regards, Barry
Hi Jae:
Yes, we want to be sure to eliminate any ambiguous information, as students may feel they're being tricked or the question is unfair. Poorly written questions can have that effect.
Regards, Barry
Hi Fred:
The best test is the one that proves the student has learned. There are a variety of effective methods that can achieve that goal.
Regards, Barry
Hi Laurie:
Deriving the proper balance of weight to assignments can be challenging. Grading rubrics can be helpful in this area because they tend to be specific, fair, and consistent.
Regards, Barry
Hi Kristina:
Rubrics are wonderful tools to use in developing and administering a grading system, partly because they incorporate much objectivity into the grading system.
Regards, Barry
I think giving appropriate weight to certain assignments is the hardest thing to do.
I wouldn't call it a challenge, but I believe it is important to go over each documented method of evaluation, whether it be a quiz or instructions for a practical exam, to ensure that the question or the instructions can not be misinterpreted by the student.
I agree, written assessments should not be the only way of evaluating student performance. There are students who are better hands on.
The biggest challenge in setting up a grading system is assigning appropriate value to the different assignments, quizzes and tests. In my English Composition class, I want to give some weight to tests based on grammar, but even more weight to the actual written assignments which show what they can actually do with their knowledge.
In order to keep the fairness, we have developed a rubrics for each practical exam.
Hi Maureen:
Everyone appreciates and expects fairness. Clear expectations at every step can help maintain the integrety of a grading system. Nothing is infallible, but by providing guidelines everyone has to follow (faculty included) we're likely to achieve better consistency and fairness.
Regards, Barry
Hi Gerry:
You've written some good points. I like the idea that work above and beyond what is asked for deserves credit, but not at the expense of required work and/or assignments. That makes sense.
Regards, Barry
I think that fairness in grading for the variety of students that we have is one of our greatest concerns.We have students that do not have decent reading skills at one end of the spectrum and students that have already attained Master's degrees.
Fortunately we have marvelous support from our entire Education Department. Our grading system and its guidelines are fairly specific.
We are balanced in practical testing, written quizzes, homework and straight forward research projects.
We must be very careful in helping the students that miss classes and need to make up work.
I think "extra credit" should only be used when the student has completed all the required work. To use extra credit to raise a student's grade seems patently unfair to those who have doen all the work. If a student has completed all the required work and has time, I am more than willing to assign extra tasks so he can learn more. I believe grades, especially in a vocational training program are over rated and, in some cases, can give astudent a false sense of what he is capable of. In most cases, the best we can hope for is to give them the base on which to build once they are in the field. I stress that they must complete every task correctly to get any credit for that task. A customer doesn't want to have a technician who can do all the tasks he's assigned 70% correectly. He would much rather have one who can do 70% of the tasks 100% correctly. Grades may get a student a job, but knowledge is what keeps the job.
Hi Mark:
Being fair is essential and an extension of commitment to sound teaching standards. Fairness will contribute to building trust, less than consistently fair will only lead to diminished confidence in the instructor in the eyes of the students.
Regards, Barry
I feel the biggest challenge is to make it fair for the students. Not all students learn the same way so in order to evaluate them you must use several different methods. Each method should be geared towards a different style of learning in order to meet the needs of all students.
Hi Stacy:
If your insitution allows it, awarding EC is always the instructors call. Just want to be fair with it's use (i.e. if one works for and gets it, then all shohould the opportunity to work and earn it).
Regards, Barry
Hi Stacy:
What you describe can sometimes be addressed quite well by using a grading rubric. This tool provides a matrix for assessing student performance on an escalating scale, with descriptions for each level. It makes choosing the degree to which a student has mastered the material easier to document.
Regards, Barry
Hi Peter:
Fairness and consistency are certaintly two of the most common and important aspects of any assessment. A rhetorical question I like to ask is "does the assessment assure the instructor the student has achieved the neded learning? If not, thewn fair and consistent kind of goes out the window.
Regards, Barry
Hi LE:
You follow a format that many instructors use , and I think it works successfully. The caveat I would emphasize is that all students know what the grading system is at the beginning of a course and then everyone - including the teacher - abide by it.
Regards, Barry
