Grading Students

Grading Issues
Test Construction
Proctoring or Giving an Exam

Grading issues

A thorough treatment of evaluation/ grading issues is tricky and, quite frankly, beyond the capacities of this survival guide. We hope to give you a few pointers, but we also encourage you to research these issues through the resources below as well as through books and articles that are specific to your field.

--Assess the level of the course and construct your grading requirements around it.

--Decide on a grading format. It is often good to use a rubric when grading so the students can see categories of weaknesses and strengths.

--Try to be as objective as possible. If you have a great deal of subjective grading, you will have less realistic proof to back up the reasons for giving out a certain grade (and your students will most likely complain).

--After creating a grading format or rubric, make sure the students understand the specifics about what they will be graded on. If the grading criteria are listed on a rubric, let them see the rubric before doing the assignment.

--Once the students have seen the grading criteria, it is imperative that you be fair and consistent with each student.

--Discuss grades with students privately and do not allow others to be privy to your students' personal information. It's also a good idea to require students to wait 24 hours before speaking to you about a grade so that you can both be prepared and any bad emotions can be cooled down.

--If a dispute over a grade reaches a point where you are unable to resolve it with the student, refer the student to your course supervisor. Explain the situation to your supervisor as objectively as possible and check with your department regarding specific procedures on grade disputes and resolutions.

--If you need help keeping track of grades, try using Excel or download an easy program such as www.gradekeeper.com .

--If you are working with a professor/supervisor, communicate with him/her about his/her grading expectations. This communication can teach you a great deal about grading procedures and it can greatly reduce any disagreements you and your supervisor might have about a student's grade (see Working With a Course Supervisor).

Additional Resources:
McKeachie, W. (1999) Teaching Tips (10th edition). Boston. Houghton Mifflin Company: Chapter 7: Testing and Assessing learning: Assigning Grades Is Not the Most Important Function and Chapter 9: The ABC's of Assigning Grades.

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Hampshire, Center for Teaching Excellence website: http://cte.umdnj.edu/

Illinois State University, Physics 311 Course: http://www.phy.ilstu.edu/programs/ptefiles/hmpg.html

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Test Construction

Tests. One of those necessary evils. Like grades, a great deal of thought needs to go into the construction of a good test. Here are some ideas on how to make an efficient test:

--If the course you're teaching has been taught before, refer to previous tests to make sure that your course instruction is on track. However, it's not a good idea to copy the test word for word. Your course might have slight differences that need to be included in your test.

--Take notes after each lecture or discussion. Think of a few questions that might be good to test regarding the day's material. This will save a lot of time when it comes to creating the test.

--Decide what it is you want to test and how you want to test it. Does the material require rote memorization? Is it best done in short answer, long answer, or essay format?

--Make the test challenging, but not overly difficult and frustrating, for the students. Keep in mind that most of your students won't have the knowledge you do about the material, so make sure the test doesn't assume a higher level then your students have obtained.

--Test a sample of the students' knowledge as opposed to making them prove that they know it all.

--Construct the exam a few days in advance so that you can create a study guide for the students. This also allows you to take a last look at it for grammar or content problems before printing it.

--Make the first problem straightforward and familiar so that the students with anxieties can calm down.

--Try not to ask trick questions that your students will be able to argue. Although some subjectivity is normal, good tests are often fairly objective.

--Consider time constraints and make sure that the students can complete the test within the allotted time. One approach to this is to take the test yourself. It is likely that a student can finish in an entire period what you can do during a third to half of the time. Another rule of thumb with multiple choice is that you should allow them one minute per question.

--Discuss your testing procedures with the class prior to giving the exam.

--Weigh the questions carefully when considering point values. If your essay section is the same amount as a short answer question, it will be improperly weighted and students who don't know the material will be able to get scores they might not deserve.

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Proctoring or Giving an Exam

Whether you're giving your own exam or you're proctoring someone else's, there are several important steps to follow in order to ensure that good standards are upheld and that the exam is fair for everyone involved.

--Proof the exam carefully. See if there are any special questions that might need clarification.

--Decide before the test what kind of information you will offer to them during the test. For example, decide whether or not you will write certain formulas on the board or if answering vocabulary questions is appropriate. Also, ask yourself if it is appropriate for the students to have calculators or open notes.

--Days before the exam, ask the students to contact you if they need any special testing accommodations.

--Show up early to the classroom to proof the exam again and to make sure everything is in order. This way you can start the test as soon as class begins and you won't have to run out in the middle of the test.

--If you are proctoring the exam, or if you have a large class and you don't know the students' names, make them bring identification. You can also post a seating chart. This will help you to remember who is sitting by whom in cases where it looks as though students may have cheated.

--If a question is asked by more than one student, write it on the board so that all of the students can easily see the information without asking you.

--Use different strategies to make sure that it is difficult to cheat on the test:

 

o Have the students sit far enough apart that they can't look at each other's tests. It is preferable to seat them with at least one empty desk between them and the next student.
o Greet the students as they walk in the door and tell them where to sit. This way you can separate those who might have arranged to collude.
o Outline for them, before each exam, exactly what the consequences are of cheating.
o Make sure that all of their books, notes and handhelds are packed away in their bags before you pass out the exam and that the bags are pushed all the way under their chairs or along the walls.
o Keep an eye on the students as you pass out the exam.
o Do NOT sit in the front of the class and read a book or grade papers.
o Walk around the room as they are taking the test. If you stand behind their backs, they are often less likely to gawk at other people's tests or look through their bags because they don't know exactly where you are and whether or not you're looking at them.
o Answer students' questions while watching the rest of the class. Some students try to take advantage of this time to get answers from their neighbors.
o Watch for suspicious behavior such as:

*Someone pulling down their sleeves: They might have answers written on their arms. If they are looking at any bare body part too much and then covering it up, you might want to have them show you if something is there. This can be done either during or after the exam.
*Someone wearing a baseball hat with a broad bill: They might want to make their wandering eyes less obvious.
*Someone coughing often, tapping their pencil or doing any strange hand signals during a multiple choice exam: Some students may have worked out their own "test-taking strategy" before class.
*Students asking to use the restroom. If the students need to use the restroom, take the following precautions:
...They cannot take their bags.
...They should leave their test with you while they are gone.
...They must go one at a time.
...There should be no restroom breaks if the test is under 90 minutes.

o If they have calculators, you might need to use special tactics to make sure that they don't have certain formulas or answers already typed in. Make them trade calculators during the test or have them show their work.
o If you are proctoring the exam, ask the instructor if there are any students to whom you should pay particular attention.

--Stay in the room the entire time. If the test is long, arrange for a replacement to give you a break.

--As the students turn in their tests, collect them face down. This will prevent others from seeing their answers as they come to ask questions.

--Write the remaining time on the board instead of announcing it and making everyone nervous. Do this at several intervals during the test.

--Have all students turn in their papers, whether they are finished or not, when the time is up.

--Grade and return the test as soon as possible. This will help the exam to be more of a learning experience while the information is fresh in the students' minds.

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Written/Prepared by Kim Welch:
Education Specialist for Teaching Assistants
Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence, University of Utah