Speaker
Description
In many tertiary educational settings, participation can comprise a significant part of a student’s overall grade for some courses. Transparently documenting this important element can be challenging (Ihsan, 2018, Rasooli et al., 2018; Chang, 2013). For example, many schools do not accept the overt use of easily quantified numbers derived from attendance as a factor when calculating participation grades.
This practically-oriented presentation will discuss my attempts to devise systematic, fair and easily explicable protocols for calculating student participation grades. It is predicated on the use of several tools and techniques that will be discussed in the presentation, notably (a) using spreadsheets and having an easily updated seating plan, (b) regularly calculating student grades, and (c) recording incomplete or late assignments. Together, these components make up the ABC Grade that I use instead of “Participation”. During the presentation, I will demonstrate how to explain ABC Grades in a syllabus, and how to calculate them, as well as how to explain them to students.
Participants in this session should leave with a better idea of how to calculate participation grades in their own settings using spreadsheets and the protocols explained. Ongoing questions, lively participation, and shared experiences from participants are most welcome, albeit within the limited time available.
| Keywords | Assessment, Feedback, Spreadsheets, Cloud Computing |
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