feedback

Grading Essays

Connecting grading to specific learning objectives, and developing a clear system for commenting, can make grading an easier and more strategic process.

Teaching the 3-Speed Class

by Jason Purcell, Political Science
In the Spring of 2008, I realized that I had a problem: I was teaching a 3-speed class. While some students were content with the pace of section, others were struggling to keep up, and still others were starting to get bored. How can one GSI keep pace with students learning at three very different speeds?

Teaching Critical Skills in Legal Studies

by Sonya Lebsack, Legal Studies
I have discovered, to my surprise, in the past few years, that most of my students—including those doing otherwise excellent work — struggle to read a chapter or article and state (in a paragraph or in person) what the author’s “project” is and what the stakes of that project are…As a result, I focus my efforts on teaching this underserved area of focus.

Improving Writing Skills and Alleviating Grading Confusion

by Christopher Rider, Business Administration
By providing detailed, constructive feedback specific to each student’s essay, my students developed a stronger idea of what was expected. By posing open-ended questions in the feedback emails, I engaged many motivated students to participate in an ongoing email exchange and stimulated many students’ interest in pursuing their topics further.

The Undergraduate Research Paper

by Karen McNeill, History
That semester students completed the best batch of research papers I have ever received. I cannot say that the quality of student writing improved dramatically, but the quality of the research and analysis did.

Improving Laboratory Courses

by Nicholas L. Pivonka, Chemistry
I sought to improve the laboratory portion of the course by improving the quality of experiments the students were asked to perform. One of the experiments was clearly a candidate for replacement.