I was hoping some seasoned Tipsters could share their perspectives
on "fair" grading practices. I'm teaching a research methods course
in cognitive psych. This is a 4 credit "writing intensive" course and
most of my students are graduating seniors. As usual, students vary in
psych aptitude and writing ability.
One of my goals for this course was to push students toward completion
of a high quality APA manuscript. I have required first drafts of every
section and have written specific suggestions, criticisms, and praise.
I accept revisions at any time, answer questions by phone and email, and
schedule individual appointments to go over the written work.
I have a few students who simply can't write well. My goal for these
students is improvement. I basically see these students as passing with
a C. I also have several very talented students who intend to pursue
graduate school at some point. Most of these students are earning A
grades on most sections. However, recently one of these students got
a B+ on the discussion section. She understood my comments and how
I wanted her to hone the focus of her paper. Everything was fine
till she bumped into one of my C students who was thrilled with her
first B section. The first student decided that her B+ was so much
better than the other students paper, that she should have a higher
grade.
I've written to her and tried to explain that I am helping each student
to do their best work and that I try to grade improvement (sort of
a within-students approach). I always start with a list of
certain necessary items (e.g., correct information, format,
organization, proper use of citations) and then allow a few points for
overall quality and flow. This distribution of possible points allows
students to earn credit in different ways.
I guess my question concerns "fair" grading. Is it possible to adhere
to uniform grading standards? Is it even desirable? I think of
my students as individuals and see my job as teaching individuals, not
judging students by the skills and knowledge which they bring to class
on day one. How do others deal with this?
Thanks,
Pam
Pamela Joyce Shapiro | email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Temple University | voice mail: (215) 204-9595
Cognitive Psychology | box # 888-3214
