Grading Student Papers

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Grading Student Papers

• How to avoid being WACd

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Grading in Context

• Assignment Prompt
• Student work Grading grid

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The Writing Prompt

• A good prompt can
• . Help students get to the outcome more
  effectively and efficiently
• . Provide a framework that facilitates the
  grading process

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QU 101 Prompt for Essay 3

• Examine the prompt and
• Step 1 Separate direction from description and
• explanation.
• Step 2 In collaboration with a partner, list
  the features of a student essay that successfully
  completes this assignment.

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Types of Grading

• Substantive ideas are well formulated
• Formal few mechanical errors
• Holistic ideas well formulated and well
  expressed

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Evaluation Remarks

• Corrective Remarks Editorial comments
• Writerly Remarks Responses to the student
  from your role as fellow writer (e.g., This
  point could be stronger if.)
• Readerly Remarks Responses to the student
  from your role as reader (e.g., I dont quite
  understand your point here.)

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Response Styles Corrective

• Corrective Response Does not Facilitate Deep
  Revision or Rethinking of Content.
• Circle all errors (lead writers to correcting
  errors on their own)
• Look for patterns of error (note only 2-3 most
  common patterns in the summary comments )

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Response Styles Facilitative

• Facilitative Response
• Avoids telling writers what to do raises
  questions, inviting reconsideration of ideas.
• Examples
• What do you plan to argue about Bush's strengths
  and weaknesses as president?
• I'm not following your connection between
  presidential mendacity and the downfall of the
  American political system.

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Response Style Directive

• Directive Response DO AS I SAY!
• Examples
• Your essay does not. You need to makeYou must
  consider Refute the argument.. Reconsider your
  use of. Dont rely on. Go to the Damned
  Learning Center!

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Hybrid Response Style

• Why doesnt your thesis about Bushs Truth
  Serum address Executive Privilege and
  National Security? Both are in your title. You
  should consider both early and each in fuller
  measure later. Where might each be most useful to
  your argument?

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Grading the PaperResponse to QU 101 Essay 3

• Examine the sample essay (permissioned) before
  you.
• Suppose you are charged with grading it, based on
  the prompt we have just reviewed.
• Assign a grade and identify the criteria that
  guided your response in assigning that grade.
• When you are done, discuss both convergent and
  divergent outcomes with your partner.

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The Grading Framework(aka grid, guide, rubric)

• Development of grading grid as a process
• Variety of forms (many in packet)
• Key features of rubrics
• . Rubrics list features of high quality responses
  (e.g., organization, use of evidence, etc.)
• . Rubrics provide guidelines for assessment
• (e.g., an A paper will.)
• . Rubrics often provide a weighting scheme that
  demonstrates to students what is important

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The Grading Framework (cont)

• Creates bridge between demands of the assignment
  (what you privilege in student work) and the
  feedback you provide students to encourage the
  development of essential disciplinary skills
• As teachers, we value different kinds of writing,
  the writing grid describes criteria for judging
  writing as clearly as possible

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Conclusion The Role of Grading in Written Work

• Begin by developing prompt with clear direction,
  and explicit
• Connect instructions in the prompt to explicit
  standards for performance of ideal outcomes
  can be defined in a grading rubric
• Offer writerly and readerly comments on
  student work that are oriented to revision rather
  than correction