rubrics and grading - syracuse...

Presented by:Hwang

Woosang Hwang & Theresa Yera for TA Orientation 2017

Rubrics and Grading

Introductions

Adjunct Instructor- HDFS 201 Family Development (2012 Summer)- HDFS 422 Work and Family in the 21st Century (2017 Fall)

Teaching Assistant- 8 HDFS undergraduate classes from 2012 Fall to 2015 Spring semesters

Teaching assistant previously for Introduction to Sociology with and without discussion sections and Sociology of Health and Illness. This Fall will TA for Introduction to Research and be a grader for Sociology of Health and Illness. Graded a combination of exams, participation, papers, and made her own rubrics.

• Overall Grader/TA Expectations• Creating a Rubric• Example of Grading using Rubrics• Plagiarism Check Using the Turnitin Program• Grading in a Discussion Session

Outline

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Lesson descriptions should be brief.

• The syllabus is not only a guideline for students taking the class, but expectations of responsibilities the TA may have

• The Teaching Assistant responsibilities and activities are often flexible, however, the following are possible aspects of the syllabus:▫ Attendance at lecture and keeping up with text reading▫ Coordination and facilitation of study sessions prior to each exam▫ Assistance with the clerical duties of offering and teaching a class Such as keeping a gradebook and/or BlackBoard up-to-date

Understanding the syllabus

• Important for grading, besides the rubric, is keeping track of attendance sheets, worksheets, assignments, and other graded materials

• You may need to put aside time each day or every few days to keep on top of students’ work, responding to their emails, and grading small and large assignments and exams

• A large part of grading is calculating final grades. Keep a spreadsheet throughout the semester with students’ grades and attendance. Set up the spreadsheet as soon as you get the roster (you can see it through MySlice). Anticipate adding and deleting students from the gradebook or attendance sheets.

Grading Plan and Gradebook

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Always record your grades prior to handing back the assignments. I do not recommend relying only on BlackBoard to record grades. What I have done is input in BlackBoard first, and then you have the option to download the grades as an excel and I update my gradebook each time I update BlackBoard. Technological mistakes happen.

Example of Gradebook

Presenter

Presentation Notes

I use Google Sheets because then I can have access to the gradebook anywhere. You may consider Excel on a thumbdrive or DropBox. In the same file I have a coversheet with information regarding the class, a sheet with student’s final grades, a sheet with all grades, a sheet for attendance, sheet for calculating midsemester reports and participation, and all the students’ emails.

• Go over assignment expectations with students multiple times and at least two weeks before the assignment is due. This could occur during recitation, section, or over email.

• When writing written comments, always include an encouraging statement along with what the student needs to work on. Be explicit with what they can improve on. If the student’s work becomes a concern, check in by email or in person.

• Tell students that they can ask questions about an assignment over e-mail, but encourage students to come and see you during office hours and by appointment. Give them a cutoff time as to when they have to get questions about an assignment in to you. This helps you and the students better manage your/their time. For example, I include in the instructors’ syllabus a note regarding when I answer emails.

• Students with disabilities are given extra time for tests along with other services. You will be receiving their exams through campus mail or email from the Office of Disability Services.

• If attendance is part of the grade, encourage all students especially those who are struggling academically to come to class and section/recitation because really good attendance can make a difference.

• Plan out your own work to the best of your ability. Make sure that you get your own work done ahead of time so that you are not trying to simultaneously finish grading and meet a deadline for your own work.

Grading Tips

Abstract Step-By-Step Making a RubricEmail your assigned instructor

•Introduce yourself and determine a time/place to meet

Determine expected TA responsibilities•This is when you learn what you are expected to grade, how to grade (technology-use), and grade turn-around time

What needs rubrics•Inquire about previous rubrics and point distribution

Either in person or email you will go back and forth with revisions of the rubric•Keep in mind the following:•Specificity: The best feedback is specific, so lead by example and give students specifics about the criteria and the learning expectations for the assignment

•Clarity: Keep in mind the audience for your rubric. If this is a rubric for your students the language used should be clear and student-friendly. This includes keeping evaluation scales to under five categories as to not overwhelm students.

•Descriptive: Students should be matching a description to the work rather than having to make a judgement purely on their own. Students will trust each other’s feedback more if they feel it has not been solely based on the discretion of their peers but guided by the teachers criteria. This will also lead to transparency in the grading process.

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Understand what the professor’s expectations are and get clear guidance about what any assignment entails. Get clarity from the professor if she/he wants letter grades, numerical grades or both on the assignment before grading. Ask the professor if you can show her/him examples of what you think is an A, a B, and a C paper and get their feedback on how you are grading before you have graded the bulk of the assignments. However, remember that the clock is ticking and you only have so much time to grade the papers/written assignments and complete your own work. The normal turnaround time for returning written assignments is two weeks from when the assignments are turned in. If you realize you need more time, be transparent with the professor and students.

• CFS 363 Intro to Gerontology▫ Instruction

Example of Grading using Rubrics

• CFS 363 Intro to Gerontology▫ Rubric


• Recap


Plagiarism Check using the Turnitin program

Plagiarism Check using the Turnitin program

• Recap

Grading a Discussion Sessionhttp://graduateschool.syr.edu/programs/ta-program/cict-videos/cict-scene-21/

http://graduateschool.syr.edu/programs/ta-program/cict-videos/cict-scene-21/

Grading a Discussion Session• Speaking Card

Contact information:[email protected]@syr.edu

Any Questions?

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Example of an Old Rubric

Presenter

Presentation Notes

I met with a professor, and a previous TA was using the following as a rubric. What’s good about this? What would need improvement?

New Rubric

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Using the assignment as a guide, I improved on the rubric to be specific, clear, and descriptive. There’s space below the rubric to leave a note with synthesized encouragement or concerns. This rubric was available on BlackBoard before the assignment was due. Now you diminish the possibility of students misunderstanding the assignment or not understanding how you graded. On the hard copy assignment itself, I can leave minor comments. In BlackBoard, you can upload your own rubric and grade electronic copies online without printing a hard copy. Students can then immediately see their grade and your comments as soon as you make them available.

rubrics and grading - syracuse...

Documents