Editing User:Aaronshaw/Assessment
From CommunityData
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then publish the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
Instructor(s) in my classes will evaluate written assignments using the following criteria. Keep in mind, these criteria don't correspond to specific point values or anything like that. We usually evaluate them qualitatively/holistically. The criteria also tend to escalate in terms of difficulty. An exceptional piece of written work (such as a research paper) does all of these things exceptionally; a very good paper does all of these things well; a good paper does most of these things well; etc. | Instructor(s) in my classes will evaluate written assignments using the following criteria. Keep in mind, these criteria don't correspond to specific point values or anything like that. We usually evaluate them qualitatively/holistically. The criteria also tend to escalate in terms of difficulty. An exceptional piece of written work (such as a research paper) does all of these things exceptionally; a very good paper does all of these things well; a good paper does most of these things well; etc. | ||
* '''Clarity & style:''' Is the work readable and clear? Is it free of errors? Is the writing logically organized and coherent? Are sources appropriately cited/documented? | * '''Clarity & style:''' Is the work readable and clear? Is it free of errors? Is the writing logically organized and coherent? Are sources appropriately cited/documented? | ||
* '''Quality of analysis:''' Does the work provide clear, original, and well-supported arguments and interpretation? Does it identify and analyze the challenge(s) | * '''Quality of analysis:''' Does the work provide clear, original, and well-supported arguments and interpretation? Does it identify and analyze the challenge(s) facing the organization effectively? Where possible/reasonable, does the analysis draw on relevant evidence to support its claims and recommendations? | ||
* '''Scope:''' Does the work and the argument adapt a suitable scope given the constraints of the assignment? Does it provide a thorough and focused analysis of the key issues at hand? Is there an appropriate balance between high-level generalities and specific details? | * '''Scope:''' Does the work and the argument adapt a suitable scope given the constraints of the assignment? Does it provide a thorough and focused analysis of the key issues at hand? Is there an appropriate balance between high-level generalities and specific details? | ||
* '''Quality of insight:''' If appropriate, does the work propose a clear strategy to pursue or intellectual synthesis of the issues at hand? Does the proposed strategy or synthesis seem compelling and worth adopting given the evidence presented? Does the proposed strategy or synthesis reflect a thoughtful and sophisticated (i.e., neither obvious, superficial, nor reductive) interpretation of available evidence, relevant course materials, and other resources the author has chosen to draw upon? Would other members of the class (not the instructor(s)) be likely to find the argument interesting and insightful and maybe even counter-intuitive? | * '''Quality of insight:''' If appropriate, does the work propose a clear strategy to pursue or intellectual synthesis of the issues at hand? Does the proposed strategy or synthesis seem compelling and worth adopting given the evidence presented? Does the proposed strategy or synthesis reflect a thoughtful and sophisticated (i.e., neither obvious, superficial, nor reductive) interpretation of available evidence, relevant course materials, and other resources the author has chosen to draw upon? Would other members of the class (not the instructor(s)) be likely to find the argument interesting and insightful and maybe even counter-intuitive? | ||
== Participation == | == Participation == | ||
Almost every course I've ever taken or taught has some dimension of the assessment given over to "participation." Participation | Almost every course I've ever taken or taught has some dimension of the assessment given over to "participation." Participation is one of the most subjective activities to assess. So how do I try to do it when I teach? | ||
The short answer is that I assume everyone starts every course with a "perfect" participation grade. Students who go on to be present, prepared, engaged, and active in the class meetings while also supporting balanced participation with others (please note that engaged/active ≠ talking!) generally receive 100% of the possible participation grade. As a proxy for this, you can ask yourself: "am I consistently present, prepared, and making a positive contribution to this course? If the answer to this question is unequivocally "yes", you are probably doing just fine. | |||
A more detailed rubric follows. In terms of participation, I assess students along four criteria: | A more detailed rubric follows. In terms of participation, I assess students along four criteria: | ||
* ''' | * '''Participation:''' ''Are you an active participant in class?'' (Although I will not penalize for absence, it is simply a fact that if you aren't present, you can't participate—even if you are absent for a good reason. Multiple unexplained absences will likely have a negative impact on my assessment of your participation.) | ||
* '''Preparation:''' ''Do you read/complete assignments fully with attention to detail?'' ''Do you note relevant ideas, questions, or connections in class?'' | * '''Preparation:''' ''Do you read/complete assignments fully with attention to detail?'' ''Do you note relevant ideas, questions, or connections in class?'' | ||
* '''Engagement:''' ''Do you make at least one excellent contribution (e.g., insight or question) to each class without monopolizing discussion | * '''Engagement:''' ''Do you make at least one excellent contribution (e.g., insight or question) to each class without monopolizing discussion?'' (see the bit on participation balance below). ''Do you give active nonverbal and verbal feedback?'' ''Do you refer to other students by name and engage their contributions to the course?'' | ||
* '''Activity:''' ''Do you fully engage in | * '''Activity:''' ''Do you fully engage in group exercises?'' ''Do you follow up on open questions and share your findings with the class?'' | ||
=== Maintain participation balance === | === Maintain participation balance === | ||
I do not assess participation in terms of how | I do not assess participation in terms of how much you speak in class. Indeed, I will assess a student's participation less positively if they routinely dominate conversation or fail to leave room for contributions from others. A useful rule of thumb advised by Joseph Reagle is to ''be wary of speaking three times before everyone has had a chance and make sure you make at least one good contribution.'' | ||
In any group there will be those who speak more and those who speak less; this might be because of differences in personality, language fluency, or culture. For instance, some people like to carefully think before they speak and | In any group there will be those who speak more and those who speak less; this might be because of differences in personality, language fluency, or culture. For instance, some people like to carefully think before they speak and some believe that interaction should be rapid and assertive. I want everyone to participate and I believe it's worthwhile to achieve balance in classroom discussion. | ||
If you struggle with this, my friend Joseph Reagle | If you struggle with this, my friend Joseph Reagle shares two strategies that I've found helpful: | ||
# In classes where I was excited about the topic, I tried to be mindful of how much I spoke when I realized others had interesting things to say but were not as quick to speak. We are often uncomfortable with a little silence, including teachers, and speak to fill the void. However, teaching and facilitation guides recommend that we be open to such spaces: take a couple of breaths, or even say “take two minutes to think about this.” So I began a practice of pacing myself, limiting myself to three really good responses in class, and then make sure others have had time before jumping in — if at all — to contribute. | # In classes where I was excited about the topic, I tried to be mindful of how much I spoke when I realized others had interesting things to say but were not as quick to speak. We are often uncomfortable with a little silence, including teachers, and speak to fill the void. However, teaching and facilitation guides recommend that we be open to such spaces: take a couple of breaths, or even say “take two minutes to think about this.” So I began a practice of pacing myself, limiting myself to three really good responses in class, and then make sure others have had time before jumping in — if at all — to contribute. |