Teaching Best Practices: Grade Transparency

"Though I don't teach an online course (but allow students to check grades online), I see the strength in being transparent with grades so that students fully understand from the beginning how they are doing. In the past, the nurture in me dreaded taking grades on quizzes, tests, etc. where students did poorly (usually at the beginning), but I have found that letting students know early how they are doing (I tended to shelter them by deferring my taking a grade) has benefited them the most. This will create less stress for faculty at the end of a semester as students should fully understand how they "earned" their grade."



Posted by: Seth J. Batiste, M. Ed.
Assistant Professor
Developmental Studies
Lone Star College - North Harris/GreensPoint

Classroom Management: Solutions to unruly student behavior

Problem: Students come in late or leave early.

Solution: In your course syllabus, let students know that there will be a short group quiz at the beginning of class and a short assessment at the end of each class session. Make these quizzes and assessments part of their grade.

The group quiz should focus on the concepts and learning objectives of the day. For example, if students had outside reading for homework, the group quiz would test them on their knowledge of what they had read. The quiz is out on a table for students to pick up during the first 5 minutes of class. After that, the professor picks up the exam and puts it in his/her briefcase. Students get a grade for the quiz. If they are absent or late, they get no grade. No exceptions.

The group quiz is not meant to build anxiety among students. In fact, students are encouraged to collaborate and discuss the answers, which helps them be prepared for the lesson of the day.

The assessment may be as easy as a three questions:

1. What did you learn today?

2. What did you not understand?

3. How will you apply what you learned today?

These assessment questions help the professor make decisions about the way the content is presented and whether follow-up is needed. The questions help the student focus, synthesize, and assimilate. If students are absent or leave early, they may not make up the assessment. No exceptions.

The solution not only solves the problem of students being tardy and/or leaving early, but it also gives a positive way for students to value coming to class and actively participating.

Collaboration:
Dr. Joyce Boatright
DS Professor, LSC-Lonestar. College