Quality Course Design

Upon the successful conclusion of Module 9, you will have:

1. Reflected on your personal grading philosophies.
2. Familiarized yourself with a variety of possible grading models.
3. Begun designing a grading system for your course.
4. Been introduced to a variety of rubrics.
5. Considered the applicability of rubrics to your teaching/grading practices.

At this time, you are ready to develop your grading system. It should reflect the full range of learning goals and activities, but it is also important to remember that you do NOT have to grade everything. In addition, the relative weight of each item as it affects the course grade should reflect the relative importance of that activity.

Please use Worksheet 9A:  Articulating Your Grading Philosophy to help you reflect on your personal grading philosophy.

There are multiple methods for calculating course grades.  A few examples are:

1. Weighted Letter Grades
2. Accumulated Points
3. Definitional System
4. Portfolio Grading

To determine which system is best for you, consider:

What will you grade?

• Are the graded items diverse?
• Do they allow you to evaluate student achievement in relation to all course outcomes?

How much weight will each item carry?

• Is the weight carried by the item appropriate for the relative importance of the outcome the item evaluates?
• Which system is the best fit for your grading philosophy and the nature of your discipline and your course?

If you are thinking of using a grading rubric, you may consider:

• What is the course objective/learning outcome this assignment addresses?
• To what professional competency/competencies does this course objective/learning outcome relate?
• What are the “observable criteria” that would tell me (and my students) the extent to which they have achieved the objective/outcome and are moving toward competency?
• At what distinct levels might students perform?
• How can I describe the levels at which each criteria might be met?

Using Rubrics -   Links and resources on how to create and use rubrics for assessments

• What are Rubrics and Why are They Important?  from ASCD
• Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning from ASCD 
• Using Assessment Rubrics from Learning and Teaching Forum 
• Using Rubrics from Cornell University Center for Teaching and Learning 

Creating Rubrics - Tools to help teachers create quality rubrics 

• RubiStar Design your own rubric or use previously created rubric from their library
• Rubric Makers   An extensive collection of sites to help you create rubrics 
• Grading Rubrics:  Criteria for scoring papers and presentations from the College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, MN) 
• iRubric  A comprehensive rubric development, assessment, and sharing tool. 

Please use Worksheet 9B:  Developing your Grading System to develop the grading system for your course.

1. Walvoord, B. E., & Anderson, V. J. (1998). Effective grading: A tool for learning and assessment. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.