Students' academic motivation decreases in middle grades; specifications grading (SG) may be one way to boost students' motivation by offering greater agency. In this mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study, we compared SG with traditional grading methods among 69 low-income, 8th grade math students. Results indicate that students in SG classes…

Like many math educators, I have spent much of my career bound to traditional methods of instruction and assessment. In recent years, motivated by a growing understanding that such approaches may not result in equitable or inclusive classroom environments, my teaching philosophy has shifted radically. In this article, I describe how I transformed…

This article explores the efficacy of specifications grading in undergraduate political science classes. Specifications grading organizes instruction around a set of learning objectives and evaluates student success based on the achievement of carefully articulated specifications for each assessment. Assessments are considered satisfactory or…

After the COVID-19 pandemic forced school buildings to close, online learning became a lifeline for K-12 education. It let schools carry on in "the cloud" when they could not meet in person. But online learning's potential benefits for K-12 go well beyond providing stop-gap solutions during school closures. It offers an opportunity to…

According to accreditation and professional bodies, evaluation and grading are a high priority in counselor education. Specifications grading, an evaluative tool, can be used to increase grading rigor. This article describes the components of specifications grading and applies the framework of specifications grading to a counseling theories course.

Education has a long-standing practice of turning worthwhile learning goals into lists of bits. One might even say that this practice is the original sin in curriculum design: take a complex whole, divide it into small pieces, string those together in a rigid sequence of instruction and testing, and call completion of this sequence…

The authors describe an Enhanced Formative Assessment and Self-Regulated Learning (EFA-SRL) program designed to improve the achievement of community college students enrolled in developmental mathematics courses. Their model includes the use of specially formatted quizzes designed to assess both the students' mathematics and metacognitive skill…

Brittany Rollins is hanging out a lot at the local animal shelter this year. Delving into the issue of pet euthanasia and writing about it will help her earn English/language arts credits toward graduation. The 17-year-old senior at Newfound Regional High School, in the rural central New Hampshire town of Bristol, is part of one of the most…

Mastery learning is an instructional method based on the idea that students learn best if they fully understand, or master, one concept before moving on to the next and has been shown to be extremely effective in math and science curricula. Competency-based grading is an evaluative tool that allows the faculty member to determine the level of…

Mastery Learning, a learning strategy which denies the inevitability of the normal grading curve, holds promise in skill-building courses. For a composition course using this strategy, course objectives must first be established and stated behaviorally, after which the course may be broken into learning units, each lasting perhaps two weeks. At…

In this second section of a two-part interview, Benjamin Bloom discusses practical aspects of implementing mastery learning in the classroom and presents some evidence on its motivational effects. For part one of this interview, see EJ 224 682. (SJL)

Four methods of individualized instruction are described and introduced, and their similarities and differences are reviewed in terms of effectiveness, grading, lectures, mastery, pacing, theoretical base, and unit size. The methods described are (1) audio-tutorial, developed by S. N. Postlethwait, an instructional system that allows students to…

An investigation was undertaken of end-of-course reactions of students who experienced varying numbers of test-taking failures during an introductory psychology course presented under two different formats: a mastery structure (multiple study/test options and absolute grading standards) and a conventional structure (one try on each midterm with…

Law schools should require excellence of all students, and mastery learning is a technique useful for structuring entire curricula or course segments to achieve high standards. A Rutgers course in contracts, torts, and legal research and writing developed to apply mastery learning strategies has proven successful. (MSE)

Describes a method of teaching physics for mastery. The method includes writing assignments on journal sheets, discussions of major concepts by student teams, and individual mastery conferences using questions formulated around the results of the group discussions. Discusses the ramifications of using this method. (MDH)