In this paper, we compare and contrast our experiences in using standards-based grading in different courses and across two separate institutions to explore the related tradeoffs and subtleties in designing and implementing such grading systems, guided by innovation diffusion theory. We summarize our individual courses, use Linda Nilson's criteria…

Many professors do not give much thought to what students take away from their syllabi. Researchers who have formally pondered the question suggest a number of areas for instructors to consider when drafting a document which is described as a contract drafted with "less attention paid to the language" than any other. In a comparison of syllabi…

Low-level content and cheating are two problems that are serious threats to the personalized system of instruction (PSI). The use of behavioral objectives can reduce book-boundness and consequently raise the level of course content. To prevent cheating in PSI courses, rigorous checks on proctor grading must be built into courses. (RM)

Asserts that members of cartels have tremendous incentives to cheat on production limits to maximize profits. Describes a classroom activity in which grading an examination using a "curve" permits students to establish "cartels." Provides instructions on how the activity is used in the classroom. (CFR)

This document consists of six issues of a newsletter that provides a forum for the sharing of research findings and instructional strategies by faculty of Western Michigan University. Issue Number 1 addresses writing in the Writing Across the Curriculum Program with notification of a faculty workshop, hints on how to encourage good writing, and a…

Four issues of a University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) newsletter by and for teaching assistants (TAs) are presented, with focus on writing, grading, undergraduate instruction, and plagiarism. Topics include: making writing assignments that are clear and provide clear grading criteria; writing with computers, writing by scientists and…

Thomas R. Guskey and Robert J. Marzano bring together leaders in the field of educational assessment to offer a multi-book series with the most up to date standards available. Comprehensive yet accessible. Research-based yet practical. This concise series addresses essential assessment concepts with solutions for today's educational challenges.…

This book offers specific how-to advice to college faculty on every stage of the testing process, including planning the test and classifying objectives to be measured, ensuring the validity and reliability of the test, and grading in such a way as to arrive at fair grades based on relevant data. The book examines the strengths and weaknesses of…

A handbook for University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) teaching assistants is provided compiled from materials developed at UCLA and other college teaching programs. Separate sections cover: teaching roles, meeting the first class, leading sections, teaching one's own course, motivating students, teaching tips, preparing examinations,…

This book provides teachers with practical information for managing their work both in and out of the classroom. Highlights include advice on more than 80 subjects, book suggestions and games for the classroom, suggestions to help veteran teachers stay motivated and avoid burnout, and tips for new teachers on the first day and first week of school…