Evaluation in a largely subjective class
I teach Medical Law and Ethics and while we do have a Review Challenge at the end of every chapter, we also do a lot of case studies and discussions. I have ben having difficulty deciding how to evaluate this since some students obviously participate more than others. I also am wary of giving those students that missed the discussions 0 points since it can be a major part of their grade, should I allow them to write their anwers to the case studies and give them some points or all the points?
Hi Danielle,
I teach massage therapy, and generally we have a lecture at the beginning of class, then a demo, and then hands-on work. I give 5 points a day to any student that shows up for class, is there for the entire class, pays attention, does not cause distractions, does not use his/her cell phone in class, and participates in all the hands-on and other assignments given. If someone does not get points for the day, I explain to them individually why they did not, and then I document this in writing to back myself up at a later date.
We do often have class discussions, and some students participate more than others. I try to keep in mind that there are some students that may be shy, and therefore, do not participate as much as other students. Often these students do participate if I encourage a more open discussion by calling on them to give their opinion. I feel that it may be easier for them to open up in class when they are asked for their opinion about a topic of discussion as opposed to having to answer a question about the material and fear giving an incorrect answer.
In your classroom, maybe you could call on your more quiet students to give their opinion about some of the case studies. If the student gives a complete answer with his/her opinion, you can give participation points. Is this something you think could work in your classroom?
Jodi
Hi Danielle:
Good question - it depends. Can the students who missed the discussion make it up with you? One thought is to create a concise rubric that explains exactly what is expected for a full grade, including participation in discussions.
Regards, Barry
I teach English Composition, which also can be affected by subjectivity. We have Current Events discusssions on a regular basis. Students receive participation points as long as they are in class and paying attention, although some students definitely speak up more than others. If a student is absent, I allow them to write a one page discussion of any current event, and I then assign the same number of points as those students who were present earned. While they can still earn the same number of points, it takes more effort to write about an event than to talk about it. Therefore, it is definitely "easier" to be present.
