This article explores a brief history of grading in higher education in the United States. Authors, Schinske and Tanner then follow up with considerations of the potential purposes of grading and insights from research literature that has explored the influence of grading on teaching and learning. Schinske and Tanner then ask: Does grading provide…

This article advances the discussion about "Going paperless," how it will save ink and paper, perhaps even a tree over the course of a semester. The author mentions that the sustainability task force on campus may present an award, while eco-conscious students may applaud the willingness of faculty to "go green." Still other…

This paper looks at the process of managing large numbers of exams efficiently and secure with the use of a dedicated IT support. The system integrates regulations on different levels, from national to local, (even down to departments) and ensures that the rules are employed in all stages of handling the exams. The system has a proven record of…

This paper describes the content, organization and rigor of the f2f and online summer algebra courses that were delivered in summers 2011 and 2012. Examining the content of both types of courses is important because research suggests that algebra courses with certain features may be better than others in promoting success for struggling students.…

In the four-plus years since the author retired, he has spoken about teaching and learning (T & L) at more than 65 further education colleges, sixth form colleges and conferences. Looking back over these occasions and the emails that he has received from tutors, the author realises that there is one topic more than any other that preoccupies…

The COVID-19 pandemic has redoubled attention to the challenges families face in making sure their children are fully prepared and supported in their journey through school. This first of three Quality Counts 2021 installments provides grades and scores for the nation and each state on a range of factors setting students up for success in school…

Access to higher education is affected by inequalities worldwide. Here we present a longitudinal study based on large databases of scores in upper secondary education and access to higher education in Portugal. Our findings show how access to higher education builds on and reinforces social inequalities: (1) private, fee-paying secondary schools…

In the formation education that is carried out within the scope of undergraduate and non-thesis graduate programs within the same university, different criteria are used to evaluate students' success. In this study, classification accuracy of letter grades that are generated to evaluate students' success using relative and absolute criteria and…

A challenge for the practical-aesthetic subjects is the perception that they are less important than theoretical knowledge subjects. These subjects are among the non-core subjects receiving highest grades in Norwegian lower secondary schools, but also represent the highest number of complaints about grading. This study investigates teachers'…

School grades provide an easily understandable metric to measure the performance of a school. Parents and the general public can use the school grade and its associated components to understand how well each school is serving its students. The school grades calculation was revised substantially for the 2014-15 school year to implement statutory…

The 21st century perception of students and stakeholders (parents, teachers, administrators, and support staff, etc.) within the realm of world language study in a Midwestern, suburban school district varied sometime subtly and sometimes greatly. No particular study had been done to indicate what inspired students to enroll in world language,…

This paper presents a model for teaching large classes that facilitates a "small class feel" to counteract the distance, anonymity, and formality that often characterize large lecture-style courses in higher education. One author (E. P.) has been teaching a 300-student general education critical thinking course for ten years, and the…

The recent emphasis in higher education on both student engagement and online learning encouraged the authors to develop an active e-learning environment for an introductory geohazards course, which enrolls 70+ undergraduate students per semester. Instructors focused on replicating the achievements and addressing the challenges within an already…

Asynchronous online discussion (AOD) is used in many tertiary education courses, and assessing it has been shown to enhance critical thinking outcomes. There has, however, been debate on what should be assessed and how the assessment should be implemented. The most common form of assessment involves grading the individual discussion contributions,…

In recent years, research and practice focused on staff and students working in partnership to co-design learning and teaching in higher education has increased. However, within staff-student partnerships a focus on assessment is relatively uncommon, with fewer examples evident in the literature. In this paper, we take the stance that all…