Specifications grading : restoring rigor, motivating students, and saving faculty time

180 Pages·2015·3.571 MB·English

by  Linda B. Nilson

SPECIFICATIONS GRADING
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SPECIFI CATIO NS
GRADIN G
Restoring Rigor, Motivating Students, and Saving
Faculty Time
Linda B. Nilson
Foreword by Claudia J. Stanny
STERLING, VIRGINIA
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COPYRIGHT © 2015 BY STYLUS
PUBLISHING, LLC.
Published by Stylus Publishing, LLC
22883 Quicksilver Drive
Sterling, Virginia 20166-2102
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other
means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying,
recording, and information storage and retrieval, without
permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nilson, Linda Burzotta.
Specifi cations grading : restoring rigor, motivating students, and
saving faculty time / Linda B. Nilson.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-62036-241-9 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-62036-242-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-62036-243-3 (library networkable e-edition)
ISBN 978-1-62036-244-0 (consumer e-edition)
1. Education, Higher--Standards--United States. 2. Grading and
marking (Students)--United States. I. Title.
LB2368.N55 2015
378.1’6620973--dc23
2014020284
13-digit ISBN: 978-1-62036-241-9 (cloth)
13-digit ISBN: 978-1-62036-242-6 (paperback)
13-digit ISBN: 978-1-62036-243-3 (library networkable e-edition)
13-digit ISBN: 978-1-62036-244-0 (consumer e-edition)
Printed in the United States of America
All fi rst editions printed on acid-free paper
that meets the American National Standards Institute
Z39-48 Standard.
Bulk Purchases
Quantity discounts are available for use in workshops and for
staff development.
Call 1-800-232-0223
First Edition, 2014
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In memory of my father
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CONTENTS
FOREWORD ix
Claudia J. Stanny
PREFACE xiii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xix
1. THE NEED FOR A NEW GRADING SYSTEM 1
2. LEARNING OUTCOMES AND COURSE DESIGN 17
3. LINKING GRADES TO OUTCOMES 24
4. PASS/FAIL GRADING FOR RIGOR, MOTIVATION, AND
FACULTY PEACE OF MIND 47
5. ESSENTIALS OF SPECIFICATIONS GRADING 56
6. CONVERTING SPECS-GRADED STUDENT WORK INTO
FINAL LETTER GRADES 67
7. EXAMPLES OF SPECS-GRADED COURSE DESIGNS 78
8. THE MOTIVATIONAL POWER OF SPECS GRADING 104
9. DEVELOPING A COURSE WITH SPECS GRADING 115
10. AN EVALUATION OF SPECS GRADING 128
REFERENCES 132
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 141
INDEX 143
vii
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