How To Make Grading More Tolerable: Methods

Photo credit: Olu Eletu

In the two previous posts, I went over some suggestions for Grading Policy and Tools. Now, let's look at some methods that you can employ in the classroom to further integrate grading and assessment into your teaching so that it is easier to deal with.

• Student-generated rubrics

Having students participate in, or entirely lead, the creation of a rubric allows for students to approach their work in a meta-cognitive way (that is, they will think about their thinking and their learning). The rubric that your class creates is a learning moment in and of itself, and is a way to ensure that students realize the significance of what they are learning, what they produce, and how they will be assessed. This is a good way to get students involved if you have had difficulty with peer workshopping in the past, as you can still be the one to evaluate the work. As this is based on the students' thoughts for credit and content, it is a fairly democratic approach and students will understand that they are being held accountable to their own standards. 

To help your students create their own rubric, it is best to have an example, or to have the first project(s) utilize your own rubric for students to become familiar with what is expected of them in terms of effective rubric-creation. Rubrics should be short, clear, and easy for the grader to implement. You may want to even allow students to get creative with rubrics -- why not encourage them to create an infographic instead of a boring chart? Even a pop of color can make a rubric more exciting. 

If the student-generated rubrics go well, you may consider creating a class constitution and even a syllabus together with your students. These student-driven documents will empower students to think about their learning goals and you may find that students hold themselves to a higher standard than their professors do.

• Project-based rather than exam-based learning

Although at first blush exams, especially the multiple-choice variety, may seem easier to grade than projects, as soon as exams incorporate short answer and essay questions (including show all-your-work problems), they can really give a teacher heavier grading loads at certain points of the semester. If you employ a project-based approach, especially one that is iterative, assessment will be more fully blended into the daily load of the course. 

To counteract midterm and final grading malaise, consider doing scaffolded projects that by the end of the semester will not require a giant push at the end for professor or student. A well-structured project can also help you get to know students better while letting them be creative and to let the learning being done in your class overlap with the learning they are doing across their studies. For example, in a Computer Science course I taught, a student who was majoring in Biology did a project on bioinformatics, while an English major considered computer programs that analyzed word choice to prevent cyberbullying. 

For a case study on how to structure a final project or paper, have a look at Jade Davis's "Creating a (almost) Fail Proof Final Project or Paper," in which she explains the flow of a course leading up to this final piece of student work. If you are not ready to give up on exams entirely, consider moving the final exam a week or two earlier in the semester, so that you can have what Anthony Crider describes as an "Epic Finale" instead of an anti-climactic "Final Exam." Crider explains that by having a collaborative, innovative, and low-stakes class session at the end of the term can give everyone present a feeling of closure, a reprieve from finals-week stress, and a celebratory capstone.