Well I think determining point value and having it all add up is the hardest thing. Our school demands tha the final is 55% of the total grade and the computer program is set up that way. Since the tests and quizzes come from a test bank , we usually aassign one point per question. I think it is important to predetrmine the total points available before class ever starts.
Hi Micahel:
Some teachers refer to grading "soft skill" and "hard skills". Soft are the professional attributes like attendance , punctuality, courtesy, etc. Hard skilss are the core knowledge that the student is school for. Bot are important for working successfully in a job.
Grading can or cannot involve the soft skills. Some institutions encourage while other prohibit. Nonetheless, the soft skills are important to acknowledge, whether by grade or some other means.
Regards, Barry
I have had a constant evolution of grading systems - actually, more of a pendulum. Balancing the need to attend, be prompt, and other "professionalism" aspects of a class vs. the outcomes. At one point I had so many points for professionalism that students who actually did poorly on acquiring the class outcomes scored well because of perfect attendance!
Hi Sarah:
Many instructors will use grading rubrics that allow the dgrees of "correctness" on a test or quiz can be more objectively assessed. If our testing is aligned with the apoproved instution-based Student Learning Outcomes (SLO's), then testing should only relate to the approved objectives. Straying too far can create difficulties in trying to be fair.
So, there are many ways of assessing student performance, and the need to emphasize the basic SLO's will help the assessment process stay focused.
Regards, Barry
The greates challenge in any grading system is fairness in assessment. How does the grading system allow for different learning types? What about life experiences? Many students suffer from test anxiety and freeze up when faced with an essay-based exam, so is it fair to use multiple choice or fill in the blank questions to avoid essay questions? Some policies are strict in reference to absences/tardies and instructors have no leeway in factoring in these events in the grading process. I always like to include class participation and test question opportunities at the end of examinations to allow students free flow of their thoughts and ideas. Some of their answers indicate wisdom and knowledge that might not be apparent in a classroom setting. It is important that all students in every class know what is contained in course syllabi so that there are no excuses when they indicate that they "didn't know" about a certain procedure or policy. This takes the guesswork out of testing fairly in that all students are equally informed of the course requirements and expectations.
