Hi George:
Fair is always a needed goal; achieving that is a bit harder. One way is assure that all course and student learning objectives have been adequately coved in the course, then keep the questions tied to the objectives - that will help remaining fair.
Using a grading rubric that is available at the beginning of a course is another effective tool. In this way, students know from the get go how the teacher will assigning grades. Smart students will learn to review the rubric and do their best to model their performance after the higher point categories.
Regards, Barry
My biggest challenge is deciding what each grade is worth in a weighted system. I try to be as fair as possible and put myself into the student's perspective on how much time will be needed for each assignment.
The balance between fair and meaningful evaluation, challenging students without overwhelming them, and creating a system that negates abuse on the students part.
The biggest challenge to setting up a grading system is the need or requirement to log daily entries or grades. I need to find a way to score each students daily progress and document it as the class progresses. In addition to providing feed back for the students it enables me to be prepared in case another instructor must cover my class. My ability to improve in this area will assist me greatly.
I actually do that as well. The rubric is available for them on the class Portal, as well as I discuss it with them during the first week of class. But anyhow, thank you for reading my post and for your suggestion!
Hi Marianna:
A variation that's helpful is to share your rubric at the beginning of a term and poll the students if they feel each "cell" is fair and relative to their study. So, you not only have more obhectivity but also agreement that how your rubric will be used is appropriate!
Regards, Barry
Rubrics are a great tool for grading. There is less subjectivity that way, and it gives an instructor a way to explain why a certain grade was given, if in question. What I also started doing is asking the students to grade themselves based on the rubric that I use to grade them. They have been pretty accurate so far!
Having a fair gradung system for all the students as opposed their learning abilities. Not giving to much to help the ones that are slack, therefore not making it so simple for the ones who keep up.
Having a fair gradung system for all the students as opposed their learning abilities. Not giving to much to help the ones that are slack, therefore not making it so simple for the ones who keep up.
My biggest challenge is setting up a system that is as objective as possible. This is hard to do with graphic design but a well balance grading rubric allows me to evaluate individual objectives on each assignment and tends to set me away from making subjective evaluations.
Hi Frank:
Rubrics are a great way to avoid any misu derstandings that may occur regarding the expectations on grades.
Regards, Barry
Hi Kim:
You're right, especially if a project is just a portion of the entire class grade. Some instructors use a rubric to try to avoid misunderstandings that may develop in this kind of situation.
Regards, Barry
Hi, Barry, First challenge is simply operating the existin system (Excel program) as I am not compuiter trained or experienced prior to teaching. But there are many supportive colleagues who help me use the excel spreadsheets we have in use.
The next challenge is the extra layer of data entry, so the Excel grading results daily entered also are entered to our student portal. However, I think the benefits are worth the work. It is a very good thing to have students able at any time to see how they are doing in the class. They are less doubtful of themselves and more proactive. It also shows our commitment to their success. --Gary O. Ackerman
The challenge of setting up a grading system is to assign a numeric value to the students’ development in the subject area that is covered in the course. Grading is a complicated issue. Testing is a valid approach but what kind of test are the most appropriate? Multiple choice, fill in the blanks, solving problems or essay. I believe that the course material determines the best type of test. This requires good judgment on the part of the instructor. Class participation is also important. Students learn a lot about the subject matter and the issues involved through discussions. An instructor can also gain an understanding about the students understanding through class discussions. Attendance is also very important and should be a part of the calculation of the grade
One of the biggest challenges in settng up a grading system is designing assessments that conform to the master syllabus guidelines and also balance different assessment methods that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge. For example, some students are not very good at taking tests, but excel in the hands on work.
I can truly say there are no challenges, our curriculum is aligned so our % are set for us.
If there are rubrics, then it's pretty easy. If there are no rubrics, then you have to evaluate what is important and assign points to that more so than areas of learning that are not as critical. Plus, you have to make sure you give the proper emphasis when teaching the students too, so they have an idea and will have a better chance for success.
Hi Patsy:
The cool thing about rubrics is if they're written well, they can be very objective in determining to what degree the student met the requirements of the assignment or not.
The thing students dislike is when they feel they did better than their grade reflects, which can happen when a teacher grades using subjective criteria.
Regards, Barry
I also believe in rebrics,
The biggest challenge is to set up a grading system which is fair to all students. Many factors are in play each time a person takes a test. The same person may not even respond to the same test exactly the same when taken at different times. Questions and instructions are difficult to word so that they mean the same things to all people. We can always be available to interpret for our students, but many of them will just take the test rather than admit that they don't understand. We just have to continually improve and refine our tests so that they are as student-centered as possible while still testing the objectives.
