Daniel,
You're right. Each component should be there for a reason, and one test for whether that is successful would be to ask the students to explain the rationale for why each grading component was chosen by the instructor.
Barry Westling
I see that responses seem to follow toward setting up a grading rubric for students as a solid grading system. I too believe that this is a good idea so that students can see how and why they received the grades that they obtained. The question asks, however, "What do you see as the biggest challenge" to setting up a grading system. The biggest challenge to setting up the grading system is making it understandable to the students. The students need to understand what the grading system means, how it works, and how their work is evaluated within the grading system.
Anthony,
Yes, that's the most important objective for a grading system: acurate and fair maeasurement of learning. This is where busy work should be focused on independent learning, and not just filling time. Also, using a grading rubric can help make sure grading is as as objective as possible.
Barry Westling
The biggest challenges in a grading system are keeping it fair for everyone involved. You have to be able to accurately evaluate what the students have actually learned, which can be a tricky thing.
Kyle,
How a grading system is developed varies among institutions. My opinion is we want to measure learning, so those graded categories (projects, qiuz, exam, homework, discussion, etc) that relect the most towards what a student has learned should be given the greater weight. "What good is an 'A' students who can't perform basic skills or answer fundamental questions?"
Barry Westling
I would say the biggest obstacle is giving enough categories for the students to earn points. My institution does not allow us to grade based on homework or work done outside of school. This really limits our grading system. It is hard to strike a balance between weighting also. How much should be given on practical evaluation and how much on written.
Nicole,
I really like rubrics for their low level of subjectivity. Both instructor and student are bound by the predetermined grading levels.
Barry Westling
Using rubrics for projects in the computer courses I teach is a great tool so students can see what is expected from them on each project.
Nancy,
Yes, grading rubrics help to remove much (but not all) of the subjectivity that may be present in a project, essay, research, presentation, or discussion activity. Both instructor and student know what the criteria is, and therefore, both are held accountable to the same grading standard.
Barry Westling
I think often it is hard to figure out what will be a fair grading system as well as one that will not be abused by the students. One important thing I have learned when grading projects/research papers is to have a rubric for the grade and to share it with the student when they get the assignment. Having this grading tool will not only let the student know where they need to focus their time but also make the grading less subjective.
Vincent,
I think this the most sound way to get at a fair and accurate grading system. If we prioritize student learning, then the components that reflect learning and understanding should be given more weight than lesser, busy work assignments that supplement the learning process, such as discussion, homework, and professionalism. Not that any component is not important, it's just some are more important relative to the goal (student learning).
Barry Westling
Where I work, the grading system is already set-up. Having helped with new curriculum, I have found it difficult for every point to count. Weighing quizes, homework assignments, professionalism, attendance and final exams evenly throughout can be tough. Depending on how important each or all are to the subject seems to be the key.
Paul,
I like grading rubrics too. They help eliminate subjectivity in the grading process (if they are constructed adequately). There often is some trial and error involved with trying tofind the right balance and component weights. Most of all, we want to make sure that whatever system we use, it fairly and acuurately measures student learning.
Barry Westling
Trying to provide a student centered approach to grading and usinig an online platform to do so is task that requres patience. In this class, I have learned new ways to improve my grading as related to its effectiveness as an instructor. Using a course framework, having a dynamic syllabus, and using grading rubrics are all methods that are useful for me to help my students achieve academic success.
Sonya,
Balance and weight of various categories are important to evaluate. Sometimes it just takes some trial and error. The main thing is to be sure we are accurately and fairly measuring student learning. The best looking system is a waste if it misses the boat on it's intended purpose.
Barry Westling
The biggest challenge is making sure the grading system is not weighted too heavily in one area. One of the issues I have faced in the past is my students have to pass competency’s in order to pass the class and so much weight was attached to the competency that it did not matter if the student failed all of the test they could still pass the course with a "B" because of the weight of the competency. The policy was changed recently in order to make the grades more balanced and reflective of the entire course content.
Diane,
We can assess students (formal or informally) in many ways. Even as we are in the process of delivering a lesson, we can check for understanding frequently along the way, during the lesson. Daily quizes helps reinforce earlier material with grading representing only small, incremental componets of their grade. Written essays do take a bit longer to grade but allow students to express their understanding in their own way and may allow confirmation the student has mastered the material. Besides multiple choice, there can be matching, true/false, fill in the blank, labeling, to name a few. Besides tests, a final grade can come from clearly defined reqirements for a project, homework, written exercises, class participation, etc. Together this variety may allow the instructor to get a better feel about the degree of student learning that has occurred. In all these examples, putting greater emphasis on the more important components is critical (so as to avoid earning an artificial higher grade based on low level performance for an activity that doesn't really demonstrate learning).
Barry Westling
I think the biggest challenge is to find the correct combination of methods. If only one method of grading is used (multiple choice questions) we risk causing some students to fail who really are just poor test takers of that particular type of test. Using more than on type of testing methods allows all students an opportunity to test well. However, depending on the topic of the course, sometimes being able to test with different methods is difficult and creates additional time commitment for the faculty.
Leon,
The overarching criteria I use is "how best can I accurately measure learning". That may vary from class to class. But whatever I use, it has to be fair, fairly comprehensive (using multiple compnents), be as objective as possible (why I don't allow extra credit), and directly related to the course topics, objectives, and learning outcomes.
Barry Westling
When one tries to be too sophisticated and include too many elements of grading, the students can get overwhelmed.
Also, it might become a daunting task to evaluate on too many elements.
Leon Guendoo
