Hi Victoria:
The use of grading rubrics is very good. It is a way of providing a more objective approach to grading and the students can determine from the start what is required to earn points or a certain grade in the classs. It also infers a degree of fairness that some other evaluation methods don't offer.
Regards, Barry
Hi Emily:
For practical or skill based activities, I have found success using a simple rating scale, something like:
0 = Unstaisfactory performace
2 = Satisfactory performance
3 = Superior/Outstanding/Well above average
This can be applied to individual components or steps in a procedure, or used as an overall rating. What I like is the student either clearly has the requesite skills or they don't. There's also a rating for exemplary performance.
When essential or critical steps are involved it's hard for me to see a rating of say, "C-". They etheir got it or they don't, or they've mastered it. Just one way of looking at it.
Regards, Barry
I look at the objectives of the course. I use quizzes, periodic exams, and a final exam. I use some written papers/assignments that have rubrics for grading which are given to the students before they write the assignment. I ask them to grade their papers with the rubric before they turn them in to me. I use pass/fail for satisfactory completion of clinical assignments with expectations of what is a pass.
Can you suggest other, possibly innovative, assessment tools for assessing student performance in courses that are 95% practical? Also, what do you think of the usefulness of peer assessment tools for practicum courses?
Hi Emily:
I think grading ribrics are wonderful tools to assure objectivity and fairness, It helps when the students know up front how they can earn grade in the class. I also like your 1-10 scale because of the smaller increments. My experience has been that 1-10 scales offer a bit too much work to define each category, but it's worth the efforth once completed.
Regards, Barry
I find that rubrics with clearly defined assessment values given at the beginning of the course and clearly explained are very useful. In our practical courses we find that using a 1 to 10 value scale is better than a 1 through 5 because the students relate better to smaller incremental evaluation and strive for small increases.
Hi Gloria:
Apparently your school allows you to adjust your grading system, which is fine. Many schools do not allow their faculty to making these kinds of changes. Since you have the ability to adjust your grading, I think it gives you the added ability to discuss your students status with them, encourage them, provide suggestions, and offer advice.
Regards, Barry
My basic English course is set up to reward those
who had good backgrounds in high school and to help those who did not. Instead of giving letter
grades or percentages for each assignment, I give
points for correct daily grades and minus points
for each error on an essay. (0-3=A,4-6=B,7-9=C)
Each essay is cumulative as errors are only for
grammar lessons covered previously. The first one
is for spelling and verb tense, then punctuation
for compound and complex sentences, etc. By the
5th essay students are extremely vigorous in their proofreading which is one of my main goals.
What students write is usually good from the first, but how they write is tremendously improved!
Hi Augustine:
That's great you review your course and personal expecatations on the first day. I believe when that occurs, everyone is on the same page and it's easier to enforce and reinforce as students progess throgh the course.
Regards, Barry
Barry,
The evaluation of students is an integral part of the teaching. The evaluation should reflect what the student is expected to digest and the syllabus/curriculum. On the first day of class, I inform my students on how they will be evaluated. Due to the nature and structure of the courses I teach, formative evaluation is used on individual assignments and discussion board submissions. These assignments and discussion boards are completed weekly, sometimes twice weekly.
Hi Dr. A:
Makes sense: is rational, basically simple and understandable by students. There should be no doubt by any student how they earn a grade in your class. That's how it ought to be - no doubt.
Regards, Barry
A points system simply makes the most sense to me. I work on a 1000 point system. The points are a combination of homework, participation, testings, and either a final project or group project. The points are balanced between each category encouraging students to complete all of the assignments and particpate in the classroom activities. I also make sure my students know that attending a class does not constitute participation.
Hi Ellen:
I think the most important element is measuring student performance against course objectives. Many way to approach this but being fair and consistent, and presenting it clearly will have the best results.
Regards, Barry
Hi Joanna:
Recognizing exemplary attendance sounds good if the weight is not too much. We want to measure performance against objectives. It's skills and content that matter the most, more so than grades and points.
Regards, Barry
I typically have two quizzes, one midterm, one final for tests. For weekly work I have either weekly questions due or a weekly lab due (I teach Interior Design). On top of that I also have a midterm project and a final project. The projects and the labs are usually the heaviest graded. I also offer extra cresit points (usually one assignment due at the end of the course) and participation points (small amounts of points for those students who attend class on time).
The way in which students are evaluated is determined by the school which allows very little instructor variation. WE are required to have an end of course exam, quizzes and no extra credit or points for other types of work. In addition studnets are evaluated in a skills lab and at clinical. The clinical setting allows for the most instructor input.
Hi Tenisha:
You've got a system that works for you - very good. Selecting evaluation should consider assessing learning that has occured. Grades and points may be involved, but they don't have to be. Some teachers simply award a letter grade. But to be objective, good teachers will consider what is most important then create grading that determines how close to learning all of the material did the student achieve.
Regards, Barry
I try to make it easy on myself and make it easy for the students to understand. I inform that students when they first enter my class that I grade them solely on the product they produce. If they are absent it will affect their weekly grade. Secondly, I use the 1-100 scale. It is easier for me to assess culinary dishes that way. I just deduct 5 points for every mistake for which I find. It actually works out really well for me. I also when helping the students for better understand my point deduction system, I tell them to look at their food from a point of sell-ability. I ask the student would they pay $25.00 for their product. If they say no, then I ask how much would you pay and why. Then based on their answer and my critics I help the student to understand how I grade with out necessarily telling them their grade at the time. I want my student to focus on the critics and constructive criticism and not just the number or letter grades.
Hi Sarah:
Great! So not all grading points come from just one assessment tool or leaning strategy. Thats good. I would like to be graded in this way, if I was in your class.
Regards, Barry
I teach a verbal communications class. I assess where they are at the very beginning in presentation skills then I grade them indiviually as they improve from thier first assesment. In project work, a portion of the grade is individual inprovement and another part is paper work they must turn in. They also have to give an assessment of the experiences involving teamwork aspect. I also have quizzes on terminology.
