Specifications Grading at Scale: Improved Letter Grades and Grading-Related Interactions in a Course with over 1,000 Students

Abstract

In our previous work we piloted a specifications grading system in an organic chemistry laboratory course with 37 students. Our current work describes the scale up of that specifications grading system to a course with over 1,000 students. Strategies used for keeping the system manageable and mitigating the time commitment required to do so are described. We found that the time necessary to grade student work and manage the specifications grading implementation of the course was not any greater than for the previous, points-based course, that grade-related interactions were more positive, and that student letter grades increased. Despite the increase in final letter grades, we encountered some resistance to the grading system from students and graduate teaching assistants. Here, we explore their concerns and address the difficulty of alternative grading methods in overcoming habituation to traditional points-based grading systems. Future work is needed to evaluate student and graduate teaching assistant buy-in, to assess potential improvement in student work, and to address questions regarding equity in specifications grading systems.

Exploring factors within an introductory course that influence students’ perception of chemistry

“…Studies have shown that introductory STEM courses typically focus on assessing lower-level cognitive skills (typically using multiple choice questions), which have been found to negatively impact students from underrepresented groups (Shah et al, 2022). Grading techniques like mastery-based assessments, standards-based grading, and specifications-based grading systems have been shown to increase student grades and provide more equitable environments for student learning (Boesdorfer et al, 2018;Bowen and Cooper, 2022;Rosa et al, 2022;McKnelly et al, 2023). These findings are significant because research has shown a positive correlations between a student's success in a first-year chemistry course and their likelihood of completing a degree in a STEM-related field (Allenbaugh and Herrera, 2014;Stone et al, 2018).…”