ERIC Number: EJ1431867
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2693-9169
Implementation of Alternative Grading Methods in a Mathematical Statistics Course
Brenna Curley; Jillian Downey
Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education, v32 n3 p272-282 2024
Alternative grading methods, such as standards-based grading, provide students multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of the learning outcomes in a course. These grading methods allow for more flexibility and help promote a growth mindset by embracing constructive failure for students. Implementation of these alternative grading methods requires developing specific, transparent, and assessable standards. Moving away from traditional methods also requires a mindset shift for how both students and instructors approach assessment. While providing multiple opportunities is important for learning in any course, these methods are particularly relevant to an upper level mathematical statistics course where topics covered often provide an additional challenge for students as they lie at the intersection of both theory and application. By providing multiple opportunities, students have the space for constructive failure as they tackle learning both a conceptual understanding of statistics and the supporting mathematical theory. In this article we share our experiences--including both challenges and benefits for students and instructors--in implementing standards-based grading in the first semester of a mathematical statistics course (i.e., focus primarily on probability). Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Descriptors: Alternative Assessment, Grading, Statistics Education, Academic Standards, Student Evaluation, Program Implementation, Introductory Courses, Probability, Course Organization, Mathematics Tests, Mathematics Skills, Mathematics Achievement, Student Attitudes, Feedback (Response), Undergraduate Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Minnesota
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A