Getting students to use grading feedback as a tool for learning is a continual challenge for educators. This work proposes a method for evaluating student performance that provides feedback to students based on standards of learning dictated by clearly delineated course learning outcomes. This method combines elements of standards-based grading…

The purpose of this study was to understand students' perspectives on the role of homework. Middle school students (N = 506) volunteered to complete open-ended surveys describing their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of homework. Qualitative analysis revealed that students identified several instructional and noninstructional reasons for…

In the course overview, the authors state that this course prepares those who enroll to teach Stretch and Studio Composition at the University of New Mexico by introducing relevant theory and pedagogy in the areas of basic writing, multilingual writing, metacognition, and reading instruction. While the English 537: Teaching Composition Practicum…

The "assessment 'for' learning" movement in education has increased attention to self-grading and peer-grading practices in primary and secondary schools. This research synthesis examined several questions pertaining to the use of self-grading and peer-grading in conjunction with criterion-referenced testing in 3rd- through…

This study followed mindset changes in elementary teachers as they transitioned from traditional grading to standards based grading during the earliest stages of the change process. A pre- and post-survey of mindsets of participants, individual interviews, and a focus group interview were conducted. While the results of the pre- and post-survey…

The grading process involves two sides: students and faculty. Student effort is weakly related to the grades. This merits an inquiry into the grading process from the side of faculty. One way to examine that process is through the "three P" model of faculty grading orientations (FGOs), where faculty can employ a personal disposition…

The aim of the study was to examine the importance of reliability and validity as necessary foundation for fair assessment. The concepts of reliability, validity, fair assessment and their relationships were analysed. Qualities of fair assessment were discussed. A number of recommendations were made to make assessors be more cautious in award of…

The ability to access chemical literature is an important skill for the developing chemist. Although the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University chemistry department had implemented a variety of individual exercises into the introductory course sequence to help students develop literature searching skills, second-year students still…

Assessment is central to learning. It is also central to the cost of providing higher education. Choosing how much and what forms of assessment are questions not only of good teaching but of good policy. Measuring the amount of assessment set in each course provides a basis on which to determine equitable and appropriate workloads for students and…

This study describes the phenomenon of how first-year teachers learn to evaluate students learning by (letter) grades. Grades seem simple enough; but in reality, each grade carries serious consequences with it--for either good or bad. For example, grades affect benefits/consequences at home; they affect placement in remedial or advanced courses;…

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) are often the first college instructors that new students meet when they arrive for their first day of class, and as instructors and as students, GTAs are the future of the discipline. As such, GTAs need to receive comprehensive training in a variety of pedagogical, procedural, and professional areas to help…

There is limited research on the quality of assessment moderation in large classes. Effective moderation practices can improve reliability, as well as reduce marker bias, attenuate prevalence of 'hard' or 'soft' markers, increase student and staff confidence in marking, and enhance the development of staff. This article shares a marking moderation…

Based on the constructivist learning principles, self-assessment has been a targeted topic for many studies in the field of teacher education. Its importance and its leading to learner empowerment have been discussed for long. This current study in this line tries to move one step further by adding a correlative comparison between instructors' and…

Research on the marking process has focused mainly on judgement and strategy use. Previous studies have depicted the marking process as a monolithic sequence of marking single scripts, and primarily in examination marking contexts. The present study investigated the marking process encompassing aspects relatively neglected in previous research:…

The author spins a tale of how she learned classroom management largely by trial and error and by making a commitment to never give up on her students. Classroom management done well provides the signposts that give students direction and enables them to reach their destination as learners and human beings. Classroom management is one of the most…