Concepts in Grading
  • More, shorter assignments, quizzes and tests.
  1. Assignments should not be so long that students loose their motivation to begin them.
  2. If a student finishes and assignment quickly they will be more likely to start another on right away.
  3. Students lose energy and motivation after working on something for 20 to 30 minutes, if they go get a drink of water will they start again?
  4. Shorter quizzes don't scare students away from starting them. If you want to find out how much a student knows, just create more short quizzes.
  5. Base quizzes on one short section of the resource materials.
  6. Let students know what parts are important so they know what will be on the quiz.
  7. Test questions should be based on quiz questions. Testing on new items can be frustrating for students.
  8. Allow two different ways for students to take quizzes and test. Paper or electronic.
  9. Grade the tests and quizzes as quicky as you can. Provide students a schedule for when their work will be graded.
  10. Send or Post grades as quicky as you can. If you can post all grades of all students with code numbers students will get a good idea how they compare with the others in the course.
  11. Use electronic grading whenever possible.
  • Give credit for as much student work as you can.
  1. If students are not accountable for everything asked in the assignment checklists they will start skipping things.
  2. This is ok if that if it is what you want as an instructor.
  3. Be careful students don't miss some key information because they are never tested on it.
  4. eg. If you never ask quiz questions about picture captions or key information in the margins of a text, students will start skipping that information.
  5. Be careful not to give busy work. Every checklist item should stear your students toward the objectives you outline in each lesson.
  • Give the students the ablity to check their grade at any time.
  1. List grades with an identification number on the Internet.
  2. Students work harder when they feel they can change their grade.
  3. Students want to know how they are doing compared to other students.
  4. Create two or three fictious students with horrible grades that way no real students are at the bottom.
  5. Give students feedback right away on their first few assignments.
  6. Post grades on a schedule so students know when to expect the new posting.
Mr. Joseph Marley
YKSD Distance Delivery
4762 Old Airport Way,
Fairbanks, AK 99709
(907) 374-9440
(612) 675-3122
jmarley@yksd.com