Grading and Giving Feedback

Grading is the process of interpreting student learning products and performance to:

• Reflect where students stand in relation to an orderly development of competence.
• Inform both student and teacher not only the current level of students’ learning, but also what needs to be done to improve that position.
• Be combined with other grades in order to meet administrative requirements for awarding levels according to student performance.

Grading is a high stakes activity, the results of which students use to define themselves as learners. It is also a highly subjective activity of interpretation that relies heavily on wisdom of practice. Interpreting and grading student learning relies upon careful upfront planning and can be significantly enhanced when students become agents of the assessment process, as Self Assessors or Peer Assessors.

Giving assessment feedback to students is integral to their learning and thus needs to be planned as a fundamental part of the assessment design.  Just as feedback to students is a key step in the cycle of assessment AS learning for them, so too the process of grading and giving feedback is a key step in assuring overall assessment quality and improvement.

In this video, Nico Roenpagel discusses considerations and strategies for classroom participation.