The use of grade point average (GPA) as a means to summarise learning is a novel practice in the UK. The aim of this study was to determine if the inclusion of assessment results from student's first-year of study in the calculation of GPA is deleterious to students from a widening participation (WP) background. Assessment marks of full-time…

This paper analyzes the impact of grading practices on the gender gap in student achievement. We examine the gender difference in the difference between teacher grading and scores on national exams to test whether there are gender differences associated with different grading systems. We use data on 21 subjects across humanities and sciences for…

What do grades mean? What purpose do they serve? What role do they play in the learning process? Teachers and scholars have recently begun to re-examine these questions central to our current grading system. As a result, many have started to re-assess how grades are assigned in their classes. In this case study, I examine the effectiveness of…

At many universities, student evaluations of teaching (SET) are used for determining promotion, tenure, and other financial benefits for professors, which gives incentive for them to try to increase their scores. However, previous research, mainly based on US data, indicates that SET scores not only depend on teaching effectiveness and quality,…

Learner-centered approaches have been found to be effective in online courses for encouraging a deep understanding of course content and for encouraging student engagement. Instructors of two information systems courses revised their online teaching methods to incorporate student choice in assignments. All assignments except a weekly quiz were…

This article describes the synthesis of the research on mastery grading, growth mindsets, and testing for learning to produce a new grading system -- Second Chance Grading. The system and the research it is based on are described in detail. Reflections of the system's effectiveness, impact, and reception are also discussed. Finally, the appendix…

In the wake of last summer's disruption to the Higher Education entry process, this year's cohort of young people finishing school and college have faced their second consecutive year of disruption to their education, impacting their schooling, their exams and assessment, and the transition to their next steps in education. In 2021 pupils' grades…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if students' participation in the ALP co-requisite developmental English program relates to the likelihood of passing gateway college-level English. Data was collected to allow for analysis of gateway college-level English passing probability for all students who participated in gateway…

Participatory Learning (PL) integrates several learning approaches, engaging students throughout the entire assignment process for both online and face-to-face courses. Beyond simply providing a solution, students also craft a problem (problem-based learning), grade each other (peer assessment and feedback), evaluate themselves (self-assessment),…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine elementary education teacher perceptions of the change process that occurred in a public-school district during the four-year transition from a traditional grade reporting process to a standards-based system. The director of elementary education and a district leadership team provided…

This Educational Leadership Portfolio (ELP) addresses efforts and activities aimed at implementing standards-based grading (SBG) at the Islamic Academy of Delaware (IAD). In the year 2018-2019, the school began efforts to transition to standards-based learning (SBL) through changes of curricula, delivering SBL professional development, introducing…

The "Grading Survey©" is pilot research on how students viewed various aspects of course grading. Grading Survey© data indicated they prefer a percentile grading scale (e.g. 90% to 100% of 500 points earns an "A") to a raw point grading scale (e.g. 450 to 500 of 500 points earns an "A"). Students also reported they…

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become more and more popular recently. These courses have attracted a large number of students world-wide. In a popular course, there may be thousands of students. Such a large number of students in one course makes it infeasible for the instructors to grade all the submissions. Peer assessment is thus an…

Science educators have developed a variety of assessment techniques to help students connect their scientific knowledge and bridge conceptual gaps. In chemistry, concept maps and creative exercises are the two notable assessments that have been implemented into multiple chemistry courses and indicated promising effects on students' conceptual…

This paper gives a blueprint for reacting to the various issues that an instructor will face in their day-to-day life as the manager of a Mastery-Based Testing (MBT) classroom. For example, I created a rubric to compare traditional testing with MBT, adapted my office hours to accommodate more retake opportunities, and required effort between…