Applying Voting Theory to Mastery Grading; A Study of Faculty Interpretation of Course-Level Categorical-Score Distributions

Abstract

The usefulness of a research-based assessment to an instructor can vary widely depending on how student performance on the assessment is presented. Currently, the Thermal and Statistical Physics Assessment (TaSPA) is being developed with a novel reporting method to offer targeted course-improvement strategies based on student performance rather than numerical student scores. This novel reporting method, however, brings with it unique challenges with respect to characterizing course-level performance. To address these challenges, we explore voting theory as a framework to assist us in understanding the implicit value judgements in how we decide on the feedback we generate for instructors. We have also surveyed faculty perception of course-level categorical performance distributions to learn about trends and areas of consensus in how faculty interpret performance distributions, which will inform what feedback TaSPA gives instructors based on their course performance.