Michelle Herridge
University of Arizona
Ph.D. Candidate
Tucson, Arizona
Hi! I'm graduating from the Talanquer Chemistry Education Research group at University of Arizona this spring (2021). My dissertation is about assessment (and variation of grading), but I also work on graduate and faculty instructor training (university wide), professional development (ongoing support), and curriculum design (both for training and general chemistry labs).
POSTER TITLE: A Framework to Analyze Variation in the Evaluation and Grading of Written Assessments
Science faculty (FIs) and graduate student instructors (GSIs) regularly engage in the evaluation and grading of student responses in formal formative and summative assessments. In this study, we identified dimensions of variation in instructors' approaches to the evaluation and grading of students' answers. Using qualitative methods of research, we conducted individual interviews in which participating chemistry FIs and GSIs were asked to evaluate and grade the same set of students' responses to a typical exam prompt and justify their decisions. Our results indicate that observed variability in assigned grades emerged from the complex interaction of explicit and implicit decisions made and preferences manifested along various dimensions. Our findings suggest avenues for the professional development of chemistry instructors that can help reduce grading variability.
THEME: Educational tools and interventions