IMPACT Live!

What small changes have you made, or are you planning to make, in your grading policies to ensure a single missed item doesn't have too drastic an impact on a student's final grade? For example, do you drop the lowest one or two assignment grades or eliminate zeros from your grading process?

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Celeste Petersen
Mathematics Instructor
Clatsop CC
Astoria OR
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Vicki Todd
Southwestern CC
Sylva NC
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I have often used the final exam to replace the lowest exam, or drop one exam (in the course where there is no cumulative final).  This semester I am trying something new - they can retake the question on the exam that they have missed, still in a proctored setting, for 75% of the credit. I am trying to reduce the test anxiety and show that it is not about getting it right one time, but understanding the material.

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Lisa Feinman
Project ACCCESS Coordinator
CC of Baltimore County
Catonsville MD
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I offer three ways to calculate a students grade.  After doing this for multiple semesters, mostly all students have a highest grade from the first method, which is my preferred choice.  The other two ways help those students that fall behind in completing work, already took the course and don't want to redo a lot of the work, or would rather focus their efforts in certain categories of the course.


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Luke Walsh
Instructor
Catawba Valley CC
Hickory NC
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I love that you have the three different grading methods.  Even more so, I love your interactive syllabus! I would love to get directions on how to make one of those myself!

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Jennifer Ganowsky
Coordinator of Developmental Math
Southern Utah Univ
Cedar City UT
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-26-2022 10:46:11
From: Luke Walsh
Subject: IMPACT in Action - Small Changes for Equity in Grading

I offer three ways to calculate a students grade.  After doing this for multiple semesters, mostly all students have a highest grade from the first method, which is my preferred choice.  The other two ways help those students that fall behind in completing work, already took the course and don't want to redo a lot of the work, or would rather focus their efforts in certain categories of the course.

Also, my classes have due dates, but not really. I am always open to extending due dates and having discussions with students about getting work completed.  I try my best not to enable those not getting work done and give everyone a fair chance to get the work completed.

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Luke Walsh
Instructor
Catawba Valley CC
Hickory NC
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This semester, I moved to having grades be based on points instead of percentages. The mathematical calculation comes out to the same thing, but I think it's easier for students to understand where they are in the course at any given time (points earned out of points available thus far), whereas a weighted average can be confusing and difficult to understand. Another idea I learned from "Grading for Equity" by Joe Feldman is to use a minimum score of 50 instead of entering 0s on the 100 point scale. It acts as a safety net, where most people don't need it, but it prevents some students from getting themselves into a hole that makes recovery seem impossible.

I also offer that the cumulative final exam (we have a required common final) can replace their lowest test/assessment score, which several others have mentioned.

I'm planning on making the transition to proficiency grading, but it's going to take me a while to develop it and to make sure my admin is on board with me moving in that direction.

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Jennifer Ackerman
Jefferson CTC
Louisville KY
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Any student who misses an exam for any reason can take a new version during final exam week.  Students who take advantage usually do well.  Others who I suppose would not do well often don't bother trying so I can often save that version of the exam for the next semester.

Practically, I send out a form to all students who have a missing exam to select times they are available.  I can usually get by with less than 3 hours of extra proctoring, which I use to grade other exams anyway.

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Jonathan Weisbrod
Assistant Professor
Rowan College at Burlington County
Mount Laurel NJ
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