Skills-Based Grading: A novel approach to teaching formal semantics

This paper reports an implementation of ‘Skills-Based Grading’ (SBG) in a formal semantics course. In traditional grading, every part of every assignment contributes to the final grade. Students are required to progress along a uniform timeline, with partial credit as a safety net. In SBG, by contrast, the course is composed of skills. Students are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery in each skill, but full proficiency is required to gain credit. Zuraw et al. (2019) pioneered the use of SBG in linguistics for phonetics and phonology. SBG is known to work well for skills that require algorithmic approaches to arrive at inarguably correct answers. In applying SBG to semantics, we show that it is just as effective for more abstract and philosophical skills. Based on survey and grade data, we substantiate claims that SBG improves student learning, encourages more effective study, lowers student stress, and achieves more equitable outcomes. Since this paper reports our first use of SBG, we conclude with some reflections on improvements for the future.

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The Effect of Specifications Grading on Students’ Learning and Attitudes in an Undergraduate-Level Cell Biology Course

Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education ◽

10.1128/jmbe.00200-21 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shoshana D. Katzman ◽

Jennifer Hurst-Kennedy ◽

Alessandra Barrera ◽

Jennell Talley ◽

Elisabeth Javazon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Student Learning ◽

Learning Outcomes ◽

Educational Outcomes ◽

Cell Biology ◽

Individual Learning ◽

Grading System ◽

Traditional Grading ◽

Undergraduate Level ◽

Final Grade ◽

Grading Systems

Specifications (specs) grading is a grading system in which mastery of specific educational outcomes is the basis for the final grade a student earns in the course. Implementation of the types of assessments used for specs grading has shown to be beneficial for student learning and motivation compared to traditional grading systems. We designed a specs grading strategy in an undergraduate Cell Biology course, creating 20 individual learning outcomes (LOs).

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“Pediatric Life Savers” – a Novel Approach to Teaching Basic Life Support to Parents in the Hospital

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.137.supplement_3.85a ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 137 (Supplement 3) ◽

pp. 85A-85A

Author(s):

Jared V. Goodman ◽

Amar Shah ◽

Bryan A. Sisk ◽

Amanda R. Emke

Keyword(s):

Basic Life Support ◽

Life Support ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Approach To Teaching

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Developing and Implementing a Specifications Grading System in an Organic Chemistry Laboratory Course

10.26434/chemrxiv.12276701.v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

William J. Howitz ◽

Kate J. McKnelly ◽

Renee Link

Keyword(s):

Organic Chemistry ◽

Chemistry Laboratory ◽

Grading System ◽

Traditional Grading ◽

Final Grade ◽

Laboratory Courses ◽

Lower Division ◽

Collaborative Learning Environment ◽

Organic Chemistry Laboratory ◽

Grade Uncertainty

<p>Large, multi-section laboratory courses are particularly challenging when managing grading with as many as 35 teaching assistants (TAs). Traditional grading systems using point-based rubrics lead to significant variations in how individual TAs grade, which necessitates the use of curving across laboratory sections. Final grade uncertainty perpetuates student anxieties and disincentivizes a collaborative learning environment, so we adopted an alternative grading system, called specifications grading. In this system each student knows exactly what level of proficiency they must demonstrate to earn their desired course grade. Higher grades require demonstrating mastery of skills and content at defined higher levels. Each students’ grade is solely dependent on the work they produce rather than the performance of other students. We piloted specifications grading in the smaller, third quarter course of the lower division organic chemistry laboratory series held during a summer term. Open-ended questions were chosen to gather student and TA perceptions of the new grading system. TAs felt that the new grading system reduced the weekly grading time because it was less ambiguous. Responses from students about the nature of the grading system were mixed. Their perceptions indicate that initial buy-in and multiple reminders about the bigger picture of the grading system will be essential to the success of this grading system on a larger scale.</p>

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The Good Sower: A Novel Approach to Teaching Sunday School

Christian Education Journal Research on Educational Ministry ◽

10.1177/0739891321993127 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 073989132199312

Author(s):

Lisa Marie Anderson-Umana

Keyword(s):

Daily Life ◽

Sunday School ◽

School Students ◽

The Bible ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Approach To Teaching ◽

The Brain

The problems related to Sunday school students not making the connection between Scripture and daily life and a superficial teaching of the Bible compelled the author to create a novel approach to teaching Sunday school called the “Good Sower.” The imagery of a “Good Sower” is used to teach volunteers how to teach the Bible. Based on solid research regarding how the brain learns, it serves as an overlay in conjunction with published curriculum.

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