Specifications Grading: A Resilient Approach to Course Design

Location

Zoom Room 2

Start Date

25-3-2021 2:10 PM

End Date

25-3-2021 2:30 PM

Type of Presentation

Scholarly Work Presentation (15 minutes)

Proposal for Presentation

Tom Tobin, in his essay Student Agency in Uncertain Times suggested four principles for promoting student resilience: lowering time pressure, due-date pressure, grade anxiety, and communication anxiety. Specifications grading (Nilson, 2015) fits these principles and is a form of course design that attaches student grades to mastery of learning outcomes; students receive clear specifications for assignments which must be met in order to receive credit toward a grade. Students are given feedback and opportunities to redo work that does not meet specifications. I will report on my adoption of specifications grading during the pandemic to build a resilient course.

Nilson, L. B. (2015). Specifications grading: Restoring rigor, motivating students, and saving faculty time. Stylus Publishing.

Tobin, T. (2020, March 25). Student agency in uncertain times. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/university-venus/student-agency-uncertain-times

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Mar 25th, 2:10 PM Mar 25th, 2:30 PM

Specifications Grading: A Resilient Approach to Course Design

Zoom Room 2

Tom Tobin, in his essay Student Agency in Uncertain Times suggested four principles for promoting student resilience: lowering time pressure, due-date pressure, grade anxiety, and communication anxiety. Specifications grading (Nilson, 2015) fits these principles and is a form of course design that attaches student grades to mastery of learning outcomes; students receive clear specifications for assignments which must be met in order to receive credit toward a grade. Students are given feedback and opportunities to redo work that does not meet specifications. I will report on my adoption of specifications grading during the pandemic to build a resilient course.

Nilson, L. B. (2015). Specifications grading: Restoring rigor, motivating students, and saving faculty time. Stylus Publishing.

Tobin, T. (2020, March 25). Student agency in uncertain times. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/university-venus/student-agency-uncertain-times