The challenge is to have a format that can reward the partial instead of punishing. I really liked reading about the idea of larger point totals, to allow for more recognition of effort and partial knowledge. I think students would stay more motivated if they knew they were at least growing in knowledge and getting some parts of the tasks correct, rather than failing.
Gordon,
You are very generous to invite students to have participation in the decision making of grades and weights of graded material. Although I do believe students are often a bit more analytic and critical when they are asked to "vote" on institutional or class policies, I think care has to be taken to be sure that true learning is being measured. If I feel good about answering that question, then it really doesn't matter how I arrive at the answer.
Barry Westling
Placing points in weighted categories outlined in the master syllabus seems to be biggest challenge when each category is a percentage of the final letter grade. What I’m currently doing is using excel to see how each weighted category with different points fits into the general schema of how each category relates the final letter grade once the points look right a second look with a is it fair - is this how I want to be treated angle. Then I present the grade book to the students for their evaluation after the students approve the grade book it’s locked in.
Courtney,
Grading methods, such as electronic versions are becoming more popular and useful. The grading system (or process) itself should be clearly undersatndable by all students. In addition, it should be fair to all, comprehensive and balanced, and most important, designed to accurately measure learning.
Barry Westling
I recently started using Engrade, a free web-based grading system that is completely confidential and allows students to see their grade any time. They love it!!
Amy,
Rubrics are great because they limit the degree of subjectivity, and also because both student and instructor are bound to the guidelines set forth.
Barry Westling
I believe the hardest part of grading is to allow for both testing and participation. In my field there is a great deal of hands on learning and this needs to be taekn into account as well as the ability to communicate effectively. Since this can be seen as subjective I believe a strong rubric given to the students at the beginning of the class may be helpful tomake it less subjective.
Also being a new instructor there may be issues I am not aware of when creating these grading systems. Having a mentor look over a system and the rubrics may be helpful.
Jeanette,
Rubrics are great, in that (the hope is) they're specific and limit subjectivity in the grading process. Also, I like that both instructor and student are bound by the same guidelines, and that everyone knows in advance how grading will occur.
Barry Westling
Our school has a grading system already in place. However when it comes to things like projects it is important to have a rubric or some sort of system that shows the students the break down on how their project will be scored.
Traci,
I think it's critical that all of the various grading rules and policies are outlined in the syllabus, discussed with students,m and then adhered to by students and instructor. Students should know how they can earn their grades and what criteria will affect them.
Barry Westling
One of the hardest things for me when I started was how to set up a grading system. We have a weighted system, and it has taken me some time to understand how many points can affect the grade and how many points things should be worth.
I think having good ground rules in your syllabus is so important for late homework, missed quizzes and such to help me as an instructor not have to try to fit everything in and figure out is someone was truly ill or missed because they needed more time to study.
Having done all that it has made starting and ending class so much better, and has made the students more accountable as well.
Claire,
I think course objectives are a factor. While it's true some may to work harder to learn the material, the one constant is the course objective that is the basis for the grading in the first place. It would seem that a good grading system is measuring how close to meeting the objectives did the student come.
Barry Westling
Challenges include:
the need to be fair to all students. Some students enter class with background and experience in the subject while others are starting from scratch. How do you show and award the fact that a new student made more progress relative to a student who already had experience with the material?
deciding what to grade and the criteria for performance. It's important to know what you want to grade for and to what conditions you want the performance. A rubric is great for laying all this out. Plus a rubric makes it clear to both instructor and student what is expected and to what extent.
Wendy,
This sounds reasonable and fair. If someone is a good mutilpe choice test taker but a poor writer, then balancing these components helps assess the real learning a student has achieved.
Barry Westling
I see the main challenge is setting up a system that covers everything properly. This is not necessarily equally, but fairly. I also try to have a variety of tasks for which a student may be graded to appeal to all types of learners. I also like to include LOTS of points, to dilute the importance of any one activity. I tell the students they have lots of opportunities in which to succeed.
Linda,
Right! Waiting too long before corrections are made can be disastrrous to achieveing course goals (i.e., passing the class). For me, a good grading system is fair, relates to the course objectives, and provides a variety of components that lead to the final course grade. This allows for a better chance for students to demonstrate their learning from more that just one or two grading components.
Barry Westling
Students need to be able to have access to their grades to that they can see instant how they are doing and what they need to improve on before the end of the term.
There is no such a thing to set up the grades by the instrustors in my school .
But sometimes you can do some excetions for your students.
Dan,
Great system. Rubrics work because student and instructor alike know what the expectations are. Also, each is bound by the guidelines defined by the rubric. Fairness and accuracy are the obvious results.
Barry Westling
As stated in the lesson, students are always looking for ways to challenge their instructors, and grades are, by far, the biggest. My solution was to publish a rubric for the subjective assignments and actually display the spreadsheet gradebook I created, on the first day of class. I enter hypothetical scores for each exam to demonstrate the impartiality of the system.
