At our school we have master binders. For lecture, quizzes, and tests we cannot deviate from what was prepped in the binder. If the instructor who prepped the binder liked essay questions that is what we have to work with. I myself do not like a lot of essay questions. The students take a long time on them and they are time consuming to grade.
I really liked the idea of having students write their answers in a column on the side of the paper. That would definitely help streamline grading of the short-answer portion of exams. I also like the idea of highlighting major concepts in essay questions. Even though essay questions are great for assessing the student's understanding of the subject, they are so time consuming to grade when you have to search for the main points.
I currently use multiple choice exams which work well. I am interested in looking at the web sites that were mentioned.
We just converted our end of course surveys to google docs so we're able to print out the results. It's been huge for saving time!
I already give some online exams and that does help to reduce the time it would take to grade them.
I never considered collecting homework and redistributing it to other students to grade as we go over it. That is a great idea that I plan to incorporate into my classes.
I will try to use more of automated grading systems like half and half. Just to make it easier and more relaxed on me.
Does a method like this seem to work with online tests? In other words, don't you still have to read a short answer response even with online classes?
That is a great way to grade a paper. How would this work in an online environment.
I am overall very pleased about the format of my exams. The majority grade themselves via the computer-which does save considerable time. I feel pretty good with this.
ou can use the scantron system and maybe onky have 5 essay questions with the remainder of the exam being multiple choice.
Dixie, So true. Our effectiveness at one task often largely depends on how well we can complete others. If we can get ahead in one area of our work, it usually positively impacts other areas.
Dr. Melissa Read
You're right. The quicker we can provide feedback to our students, the sooner they can apply what they learn to the next task, which results in better work on the next assignment and eventually makes the grading easier.
Actually, all TII does is note which parts "match" another source in its data bank. It does not indicate whether the quoted material is appropriately used or not. It simply points the instructor to the passages that need to be evaluated: are quotation marks used to indicate quoted material, and is the source identified.
TII also has no way of addressing whether paraphrased material is appropriately used (source clearly cited) or plagiarized (presented as the writer's own thinking).
TII is indeed a great tool--but it still leaves the determination of plagiarism totally up to the instructor.
Grading tests can be time consuming if they have written questions. We use scantron tests to help speed up the process of grading for multiple question exams. Save a lot of time.
Most of the homework and all of the exam have been pre-written for most courses in the manner you have suggested.
Our format already fits all of your recommendations in this section.
I give mostly essay and short answer exams. This module had a lot of good ideas and resources for drawing from existing repositories, though. In the future I plan to have students circle the important points in the essays, and will likely explore the web more for preexisting material.
Victoria, Thanks for sharing. Yes, sometimes streamlining grading takes an initial investment. It can feel a little overwhelming to start, but once we get into the swing of things, we move at a much faster pace. Online grading tools do require a learning curve but are well worth the effort!
Dr. Melissa Read
David, Excellent to hear. It's a delicate balance that may take some time to learn. On one hand, you want to make sure your questions are robust enough to deeply test knowledge. On the other hand, try to streamline things so that you can be efficient in getting the grading done.
Dr. Melissa Read
Jason, Yes, electronic testing is a wonderful help to instructors. It typically offers online test administration, grading and score reporting. Some online testing also provides sample questions and answers. This is a wonderful tool that enhances both the instructor and student experience.
Dr. Melissa Read
