I did not realize how anxiety provoking the grading process can be. There are numerous issues I had not taken into consideration. I always assumed I would just assign a point value to the assignments and overall grade and then grade them. Perhaps this is because I had been a TA so many times before and it was never my problem if the grading scheme was off. Now that I have read the issues regarding grading, I think I will be a bit more equipped when those issues come up. For example, there are different types of grading styles that are useful. However, I think that a lot of the suggestions both books point out would not work out well for a large class. I am specifically referring to assigning grades here and not strategies reduce arguments etc. I think for a larger class the only way to go about assigning grades is the basic absolute standards approach. However, if one was to be teaching a smaller upper division class, then things like achievement of objectives would be preferable.
The first thing that I have to admit is that I was considering grading on a curve. Not a traditional curve in the sense of a certain amount of students receive an A and so on, but one in which the highest grade for each test, paper, and assignment sets what the 100% mark means (or something along these lines). However, after reading Lang’s scathing review of grading on a curve, I’ve pretty much dropped this thought. I know he wasn’t specifically talking about what I was thinking of doing, but he makes a good point about the students being graded off of my standard, instead of what the other students are doing.
The second thing I plan on doing is giving extra credit. Before reading these chapters I was not going to do so. I am still not going to give the extra credit in terms of a set of extra points for completing a task, but as both authors suggest, I’m going to give them opportunities to prove effort. Basically, I will have a question every class and if they respond, I will then give them attendance (or effort) “points”. At the end of the semester these points will be put toward bumping up a letter grade if they are teetering on the edge.
Finally, I may actually allow them a chance to appeal a grade on a test or paper. There was a brief part in the Davis book that mentions some teachers have students to come up with a short appeal that provides evidence from the material to back up their claim. I think this is a neat idea. While I don’t think many students would do it, it provides them a chance to back up their claims. This is what we are supposed to be teaching them to do, right? If they are correct and may grading was faulty, then I can change it without further issue. If they are wrong, I think that doing so may get them to stop and think where they may have gone wrong, and then stop pursuing the issue.
