The Evaluations Chart with composites of student course evaluations provides some comparisons of student reviews of courses taught since Fall 2005. A stated department goal is for faculty to have composite scores at least 3.00 on a five-point scale. Each year since 2005, I achieved that minimum, with one exception: evaluative and grading techniques: 2.63 in AY12. As a result, during my sabbatical leave, I reviewed and redefined the course products that would be graded and the processes for grading those products. Here are the examples of revised assignment instructions.
Autobiography Instructions
Autobiography Rubric
Cultural Partnership Instructions
Cultural Partnership Rubric
Service Learning Instructions
Service Learning Rubric
AY14 was a pilot year for the new grading techniques. I think I was a bit uncertain about the approaches that I was implementing, and this uncertainty was reflected in lower AY14 scores about clarity of student responsibilities, course organization, etc. I had not yet ended the previous assignments and grading, but the new processes had not been perfected yet. In an odd sense, I felt similar to my first year of teaching at MSU!!
My plan is to convene a group of students early in AY15 to discuss grading techniques…