No More Partial Credit! Mastery Based Grading Kristi Closser Department of Chemistry California State University, Fresno October 21, 2019 Quick Comparison of Grading Systems Traditional
Mastery Point-based Score focused One attempt Grades often relative Only a few students ever become experts and have natural ability
Completion based Knowledge focused Multiple attempts Meaningful grades Most students can master material given enough time and support
Example: Physical Chemistry Course Upper division required course (B.A. Chemistry) 20-30 students 2 hour lecture class 2 days a week Graded Elements 1. 2. 3. 4.
Quizzes ( multiple choice, short answer) Participation Lab Assignments Final Graded Elements 1. 2. 3.
4. Quizzes ( multiple choice, short answer) Participation Lab Assignments Final Graded Elements 1. Quizzes ( multiple choice, short answer) Must pass all multiple choice sections to pass course
Pass: typically 5/7 or 6/8 Short answer sections Pass: typically 4/6 or 5/7 Number of passed SA sections affects final grade All quizzes can be retaken until end of semester Cost 1 p-chem pound (earned by completing practice problems 2nd retake (and beyond), must be done orally Graded Elements
2. Participation Earned principally by completing pre-class problems (Canvas) Other opportunities: surveys, attending seminars, etc. Graded Elements 3. Lab Assignments Computer lab Examples on SERC website! Investigating Real and Ideal gases
Kinetics of Herbicide Photodegradation Credit primarily based on completion and understanding Students allowed one free resubmission Further resubmissions cost p-chem pounds Graded Elements 4. Final Selection of problems from module quizzes No retakes/resubmissions
Ensures some level of longer-term retention Warnings Easy to make VERY time consuming for faculty Be careful in designespecially for larger classes Largest class to date: 45 students Not brave enough to try for Chem 1A: 140 students Students not used to system
Acknowledgements Fresno State Chemistry Department Hubert Muchalski Eric Person Joy Goto Resources Talbert Mastery Grading (Blog) http://rtalbert.org/tag/mastery-grading/ Buckmiller, Peters, Kruse (2017) Questioning Points and Percentages: Standards-Based Grading (SBG) in Higher Education, College Teaching,
65:4, 151-157 https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2017.13029 Brookhart: How to use Grading to Improve Learning (2017) http:// www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/books/HowToUseGrading ToImproveLearning.pdf
