Online Studies: Blog

QM & ACUE Blog Series #3: Explain Your Grading Practices

Clear Expectations, Clear Results: Connecting QM SRS 3.3 to ACUE's "Explain Your Grading Practices"

For veterans of the Quality Matters (QM) course, ‘Applying the Quality Matters Rubric’ (APPQMR) and the ACUE course, ‘Designing Learner-Centered and Equitable Courses’(DC), you may be able to connect QM Specific Review Standard (SRS) 3.3 to the DC5 learning objective, “Ensure students understand your grading practices.” For others, this blog post helps to illustrate how these two entities converge in grading practices. QM SRS 3.3 and the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) core practice "Explain Your Grading Practices" emphasize this principle. This third blog post helps to connect these two educational cornerstones to create a transparent and effective learning environment.

QM SRS 3.3: Setting the Stage for Success

The focus of QM SRS 3.3 is on providing students with specific and descriptive criteria for evaluating their work. This means going beyond simply saying "This essay will be graded on clarity and organization." Instead, instructors should outline what "clarity" entails (e.g., logical flow of ideas, proper transitions) and how "organization" will be assessed (e.g., strong thesis statement, well-developed paragraphs).

QM Standard 3.3 encourages instructors to:

• Define Clear Evaluation Criteria: Instructors should articulate explicit criteria for assessing learners’ work. These criteria should be transparent, understandable, and aligned with the course learning outcomes.
• Link Criteria to Grading Policies: Instructors must also connect these criteria to the course grading policy. Students must understand how their performance aligns with the overall grading structure.
• Promote Consistency: By adhering to clear evaluation criteria and transparent grading policies, instructors ensure consistency in assessment across assignments, modules, and the entire course.

Cue ACUE!

The Association of College and University Educators focuses on evidence-based teaching practices that enhance student learning. One of their recommended practices is “Explain Your Grading Practices.” Let us explore how this practice aligns with QM Standard 3.3:

• Transparency and Communication: ACUE’s practice emphasizes the need for instructors to communicate their grading practices explicitly. Students should know how assessments are evaluated, what criteria are used, and how those criteria relate to their final grades.
• Building Learner Confidence: When instructors explain grading practices, students gain confidence in meeting expectations. They understand the expectations and can focus on achieving those goals.
• Reducing Anxiety: Transparent grading practices reduce anxiety related to assessments. Students are less likely to feel uncertain about their performance when they know the evaluation criteria and grading policies.

ACUE's core practice, "Explain Your Grading Practices," builds upon this foundation. It encourages instructors to define evaluation criteria and explicitly explain their connection to the course grading policy. This transparency allows students to understand how their performance on individual assignments translates into their overall course grades.

Benefits of This Synergy

By aligning QM SRS 3.3 with ACUE's "Explain Your Grading Practices," instructors can cultivate a classroom environment that fosters:

• Improved Student Understanding: Clear criteria leave no room for ambiguity, allowing students to focus on meeting expectations and improving their work.
• Reduced Grade Anxiety: When students understand how their work is evaluated, they can approach assignments with more confidence and a sense of control.
• Enhanced Learning: By knowing how specific skills and knowledge contribute to their grade, students can tailor their learning strategies for the best results.
• Fair and Consistent Grading: Clearly defined criteria ensure a consistent application of the grading policy, fostering trust and fairness in the classroom.

Putting it into Practice

A syllabus should connect learning outcomes, assignments, and grades (Walvoord & Anderson, 2010). Use your syllabus to help students understand your approach to grading. Your online syllabus through the Simple Syllabus platform provides an area to connect these elements and thoroughly explain the grading policy. By fostering a culture of clear communication and transparent expectations, instructors can empower students to take ownership of their classroom journey and achieve academic success.

Methods instructors can bridge the gap between QM SRS 3.3 and ACUE's "Explain Your Grading Practices":

• Create detailed rubrics that outline expectations for each assignment, including point values for different criteria.
• Provide examples of strong and weak work to illustrate how criteria translate into actual grades.
• Host office hours or discussion forums to address student questions and concerns about grading practices.

Recently, we refreshed Falcon Online Training. We intended to create a training course to meet every specific review standard of the QM rubric. Specifically, the course includes modules dedicated to the syllabus, which includes resources for the Simple Syllabus platform, a module for the Grades tool to include the benefits of an accurate, up-to-date, and student-centric grade book, and a Rubrics module to demonstrate the versatility, and transparency and clarity of rubrics in the assessment process. If you have already completed previous versions of Falcon Online Training and would like access to the refreshed version, please contact us, and we can add you to the course. Otherwise, you can register to be enrolled in the course to learn about the tools and features in Falcon Online. 

You may also learn about the different ACUE courses and our upcoming cohorts through the Daytona State ACUE page. All full-time and part-time faculty are eligible, but there is a limit to the number of participants. If you have any questions, please contact the Faculty Innovation Center at 386-506-3485 or fic@daytonastate.edu.

Aaron Sunday
Instructional Designer
aaron.sunday@daytonastate.edu | 386-506-3209
Online Studies | Faculty Innovation Center (FIC)

References

Walvoord, B. E., & Anderson, V. J. (2010). Effective grading: A tool for learning and assessment in college (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass