scholarly journals Evaluation of Student Work Using a Letter Grading Scheme in Design and Calculus

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Maw ◽  
Indy Lagu
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Grading System ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Letter Grade ◽  
Letter Grades ◽  
System Versus ◽  
Similar Letter ◽  
Final Letter

This paper presents methods, pros and consof using a letter grading system versus a percentagegrading system, in engineering course componentevaluations. In making evaluation criteria acrossdeliverables qualitatively similar, letter grading showsperformance equivalency across courses and subjectareas, as well as departments, faculties and universities.What is worth an ‘A’ is not always a trivial discussion.But it is an easier discussion than what is worth 83%versus 85%. How to letter grade various types ofdeliverables in a valid and equivalent fashion can still bechallenging. But with thoughtful marking rubrics, manydeliverables can be evaluated using letter grades. Thesecan be combined to produce valid final letter grades.Overall, there are advantages to taking such an approachto evaluation, and these are discussed in the paper.

scholarly journals On The Experience Of The Arab Open University With The Standard Deviation Method

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 61-72
Author(s):  
Abdulkarim S. Al-Eisa ◽  
Abdulla M. Alhemoud
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Graduation Requirements ◽  
Grading System ◽  
Open University ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Letter Grades ◽  
Grading Scale ◽  
Positive Results ◽  
Deviation Method ◽  
Final Letter

The Arab Open University (AOU) has adopted the standard deviation method (SDM) as a grading system in replacement of a fixed scale. Adopting SDM was intended to remedy a problem that has resulted from discrepancies between AOU's graduation requirements and those of its partner, UK Open University. This paper aims mainly at investigating whether SDM has served the purpose for which it was selected. A data set of the final letter grades of students enrolled in 18 licensed courses from UK-OU at Kuwait branch was used. These letter grades were analyzed in comparison with the letter grades that would have been assigned to students had the fixed grading scale been utilized. The results of the comparative analysis revealed that SDM resulted in benefiting 39.4% of all students and lowering the letter grades of 10.4% of the students. Despite its positive results, SDM has not contributed significantly to remedying the problem in question. Thus, a case for withholding the D grade while continuing with using SDM was presented.

scholarly journals A Spreadsheet Template for Forced Grading System

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 267-272
Keyword(s):  
Test Scores ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Numerical Test ◽  
Grading System ◽  
Efficient Tool ◽  
Letter Grades ◽  
Grading Systems ◽  
Spreadsheet Template

Forced Grading Systems are popular and accepted for evaluating students, particularly in business schools. Under such systems students' numerical test scores are converted to letter grades (A, B, etc.) and awarded in mandated percentages. In common practice, schools mandate that 10% to 15% of students in a class receive As, 25% to 35% Bs, and 40% to 50% Cs. However, instructors must identify what numerical cutoffs satisfy mandated grade distributions, and that tedious effort might entail several solutions. This study introduces an Excel-based template with which instructors can establish numerical cutoffs that distribute students' grades in accord with mandated standards. Results indicate that the spreadsheet template is an efficient tool to evaluate students following the Forced Grading System

scholarly journals CPRTM: Adopting An Out-Of-Discipline Innovation

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Kay E. Strong
Keyword(s):  
Peer Review ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Successful Outcome ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Write To Learn ◽  
Calibrated Peer Review

Calibrated Peer Review (CPR) is a web-based instructional tool that encourages writing gain for students without adding grading pain for the instructor! The use of CPR provides students frequent opportunities to hone both writing as well as peer review skills in a guided environment. And once an assignment is authored, instructors have little to do beside monitor progress and arbitrate possible grading complaints! The four phase process of the Calibrated Peer Review reinforces learning of the content material and provides immediate assessment feedback. Students access the assignment by logging into CPR. Phase one involves the preparation and submission of the students text response to the writing assignment. During phase two the student evaluates three instructor written calibrations (high quality, mid quality and low quality) of the same assignment using pre-specified rubrics assessing content and style. An unsuccessful outcome prompts a return to the calibrations and a retry. A successful outcome moves the student forward into phase three. The software randomly selects three anonymous peer assignments. Using the same evaluation criteria the student assesses each assignment. At phase four, the student is presented his/her own assignment for self-review. Time limits at each phase insure timely completion of the assignment in full. The CPR tool provides immediate feedback on student performance at each phase. At the conclusion the CPR tool produces a complete set of results corresponding to performance at each phase; a score for the text entry, a score for the three calibrations, a score for the three peer reviews, a self-assessment score and concluding overall score. To bypass problems commonly associated with students reviewing student work, CPR has built in a set of weighting factors based on standard deviations which are reflected in the students own scores. Given its discipline-independent nature, Calibrated Peer Review makes an excellent instructional management tool to encourage students to read for content, master the content, write-to-learn, as well as, critically review writing.

scholarly journals The flipped classroom allows for more class time devoted to critical thinking

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 522-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara R. DeRuisseau
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Higher Order Thinking ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Factual Knowledge ◽  
Traditional Lecture ◽  
Letter Grades ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Final Letter

The flipped classroom was utilized in a two-semester, high-content science course that enrolled between 50 and 80 students at a small liberal arts college. With the flipped model, students watched ~20-min lectures 2 days/wk outside of class. These videos were recorded via screen capture and included a detailed note outline, PowerPoint slides, and review questions. The traditional format included the same materials, except that lectures were delivered in class each week and spanned the entire period. During the flipped course, the instructor reviewed common misconceptions and asked questions requiring higher-order thinking, and five graded case studies were performed each semester. To determine whether assessments included additional higher-order thinking skills in the flipped vs. traditional model, questions across course formats were compared via Blooms Taxonomy. Application-level questions that required prediction of an outcome in a new scenario comprised 38 ± 3 vs. 12 ± 1% of summative assessment questions (<0.01): flipped vs. traditional. Final letter grades in both formats of the course were compared with major GPA. Students in the flipped model performed better than their GPA predicted, as 85.5% earned a higher grade (vs. 42.2% in the traditional classroom) compared with their major GPA. These data demonstrate that assessments transitioned to more application-level compared with factual knowledge-based questions with this particular flipped model, and students performed better in their final letter grade compared with the traditional lecture format. Although the benefits to a flipped classroom are highlighted, student evaluations did suffer. More detailed studies comparing the traditional and flipped formats are warranted.

iAssess

2021 ◽  
pp. 126-144
Author(s):  
Elissa Johnson-Green
Keyword(s):  
Music Composition ◽  
Music Teachers ◽  
Grading System ◽  
Music Curriculum ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Artistic Experience ◽  
Composition Curriculum ◽  
Musical Thinking ◽  
Background Context

For many music teachers, assessment of student work holds several challenges: How to employ a concrete grading system for an inherently subjective, artistic experience; how to organize and present content for PK-5 grade levels so that learning is both meaningful and assessable; and how to design a music curriculum that ultimately encourages a powerful connection to music long after students have left the classroom. To help teachers face these challenges, the chapter demonstrates a music composition–based curriculum in which students use an iPad and other technologies to assess themselves and demonstrate their musical thinking, their progress, and development of compositional skills through self-reflective discussions of their work. Four sections describe iAssessment: (1) the background, context, and description of the music composition curriculum; (2) the techniques used to combine technology with composition effectively; (3) a description and analysis of student work that demonstrates the development of their musical thinking; and (4) thoughts and conclusions.

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