Assessment

Assigning numerical grades is a necessary evil in the traditional university setting (at least for the time being). Here's how I typically grade student submissions.

Written submissions: reaction papers, essays, discussion forum contributions

I typically take the following criteria into account when grading written submissions, though I will assign different weights to them based on the nature of the assignment.

Does your submission correctly interpret the directions of the assignment?
- The subject of the assignment is consistent with requirements of the assignment (e.g., don’t write primarily about X if the assignment is about Y)
- The structure of the discussion is consistent with requirements of the assignment (e.g., don’t discuss X and Y separately, as if they had nothing to do with each other, if you were asked to make a comparative analysis between X and Y)
Did you uphold intellectual honesty in your submission?
- Ideas that are not yours have been attributed
- Effort has been taken to ensure that the submission is plagiarism-free
Is the submission readable and understandable?
- Are words and phrases used idiomatically?
- Is the paper free from basic language errors?
Is your submission written with economy and precision?
- Is the central argument of the paper coherently and completely summarized at some point?
- Are ideas not repeated unless needed?
Did you follow basic directions for formatting and submitting your work?
- Student's name has been included/excluded as directed
- Student number has been included/excluded as directed
- Submitted file was named as directed
- Word count requirements were followed
- Word count was indicated (or not) as directed
- Sources have been cited correctly and consistently using an accepted citation style
Is the topic of your submission interesting, original, and/or relevant?
- Presents a novel way of looking at a problem, for an undergraduate-level submission at UP
- Addresses a current or contested topic
Is the argument of your submission accurate, compelling, and/or convincing?
- Providing examples
- Statements are logically organized
Is the argument in your submission nuanced?
- Providing counterexamples that could pose a threat to the original argument (though finding a way to nevertheless respond to them to support your point)
- Provide perspectives from other sources that are different from the view being developed

Example

Below is an example of how these guidelines might be used in the context of a marking guide for a final paper.

Course final grades

The UP System uses a system for final grades where 1.0 is the highest possible mark and 5.0 the lowest. See http://our.upou.edu.ph/ourweb/details.php?id=22 for details.

I use one of three schemes for computing the final grade of undergraduate courses. (The descriptions below uses interval notation.) Please note that these are not University-wide schemes; they are schemes I have devised for the courses I teach.

I give 4.0s, EXTs, and DRP-UNOFFICIAL on a discretionary basis. Students must have achieved a cumulative passing grade their submissions before I even consider giving out EXTs. I may adjust the grade boundaries, but always to the advantage of students whenever possible.

Scheme 1 (Permissive)

The passing grade for Scheme 1 is 55%.

1.00 ≡ [95, 100]

1.25 ≡ [90, 95)

1.50 ≡ [85, 90)

1.75 ≡ [80, 85)

2.00 ≡ [75, 80)

2.25 ≡ [70, 75)

2.50 ≡ [65, 70)

2.75 ≡ [60, 65)

3.00 ≡ [55, 60)

5.00 ≡ [0, 55)

I typically use a Scheme 1 for courses that I know will place great demands on undergraduate students, which include exceptionally difficult Special Topics courses.

Scheme 2 (Lenient)

The passing grade for Scheme 2 is 60%.

1.00 ≡ [95.555..., 100]

1.25 ≡ [91.111..., 95.555...)

1.50 ≡ [86.666..., 91.111...)

1.75 ≡ [82.222..., 86.666...)

2.00 ≡ [77.777..., 82.222...)

2.25 ≡ [73.333..., 77.777...)

2.50 ≡ [68.889..., 73.333...)

2.75 ≡ [64.444..., 68.889...)

3.00 ≡ [60, 64.444...)

5.00 ≡ [0, 60)

I typically use a Scheme 2 for General Elective and BAMS Elective courses.

Scheme 3 (Standard)

The passing grade for Scheme 2 is 65%.

1.00 ≡ [96.111..., 100]

1.25 ≡ [92.222..., 96.111...)

1.50 ≡ [88.333..., 92.222...)

1.75 ≡ [84.444..., 88.333...)

2.00 ≡ [80.555..., 84.444...)

2.25 ≡ [76.666..., 80.555...)

2.50 ≡ [72.777..., 76.666...)

2.75 ≡ [68.888..., 72.777...)

3.00 ≡ [65, 68.888...)

5.00 ≡ [0, 65)

I typically use a Scheme 3 for core or major courses, wherein a high level of competence is necessary.

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