A Paradigm Shift

An accessible, printer friendly version of this syllabus can be found in the Text Only Diversity Class Syllabus.

Specifications Grading

I invite you to embark on an incredible journey into the unfamiliar, a Stranger Things sort of upside-down world! Your class is like the Netflix Stranger Things Season 4 - which means you will be the 4th cohort to experience this new type of grading, who will not earn a final grade based on a standard grading curve (e.g. 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, etc. ). Instead, your final grade will be earned based on your engagement in the process of learning - it’s called Specifications Grading.

It's going to take a few weeks to really understand what specifications grading is, but here are some true-false questions to help you get started!

Will my final grade will be calculated based on total points?

No. Your final grade is determined by the amount of work that you submit, as well as whether or not that work "meets expectations" or not. Although assignments in Canvas will be assigned points (as required in the Gradebook), those points are arbitrary. The points simply describe how well you met expectations:

4 points = exceeds expectations
3 points = meets expectations
2 points = does not meet expectations

To earn an A for my final grade, do I need to exceed expectations on all assignments?

No. I do not expect you to exceed on everything that you do, so if you have a few assignments that do not exceed expectations, you may still be able to earn an A in my class. I provide you more details about that on the Earning My Grade page.

So how will you know if you are exceeding expectations in a grade category? The easiest way is to look at your overall percentage in your Canvas Grades, and if a grade category exceeds 80%, then you are exceeding in that category.

Another way to put it is, using a traditional grading curve (A = 90%, B = 80%, etc.), if you want to earn an A in my class you would need to achieve "B level work."

Is my grade based on the instructor's opinion?

No. For each assignment I have posted instructions explaining what to do and how to exceed expectations. However the assignments are designed to encourage you to reflect and connect to what you are learning therefore the content of your submissions should be unique to you, but will always integrate a concept or theory from the lesson. If you follow the instructions and rubric, you should exceed expectations every time!

Do I have to complete more work if I want to earn an A or B?

Yes. More work is required if you want to earn an A or B because these grades indicate a higher level of learning and understanding, and the more work you complete, the more you are able to demonstrate that you are achieving the course outcomes. The amount of work for an A or B is the same, but to earn an A you are expected to exceed expectations, whereas a B requires you to meet expectations.

The Impact

This paradigm shifts us away from focusing on the traditional methods of assessment and evaluation, where students tend to ask questions like:

The Old Way

“What’s my grade?”
“How many points is that worth?”
“Do you offer extra credit?”
“Why did I earn 8 out of 10 points?”

The Specifications Grading Way

How is this information useful to me?
What can I do to deepen my understanding?
What else do I want to know about this?

I am sure that the concept of specification grading is unfamiliar for most of us, and probably a little scary for you right now, but I promise that as you venture your way through my class, specifications grading will begin to be less scary. As we work together over the first few weeks, all of your questions will (hopefully) be answered and my expectations for you will become crystal clear as to what you need to do to earn a passing grade (C) or higher (A or B) in my class.

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