TEACHSOC: Re: grading quizzes

[Marty Schwartz]

--On Sunday, July 31, 2005 1:37 PM -0400 laura kramer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>
> I have just had the numbers of students in my two sections of social
> problems increased by a hefty amount.

It would be interesting to see student reaction to this.  My guess is that my students would not take all that well to it, except for those relieved because they did poorly.  The key issue here, as I understand it, is the work involved in grading.  I would suggest as an alternative talking to the chair about whether you could get an undergraduate student assistant, which is done all over the country.  For a couple of credits, that student would help you in the class in a variety of ways, including grading quizzes and posting the grades in your gradebook.  You can take steps to avoid problems by not handing over the key until after the quiz, choosing someone unlikely to know many people in the class (a senior to grade first and second year students), and choosing someone with strong integrity.  In other words, do some of the work of a graduate assistant, only for credit rather than money.  Very common.

Of course, if your department has an unlimited budget for Scantron sheets, you could have the quizzes on those, and machine graded.

Marty