Feedback and Grading ROAR Students in Audit Courses

Introduction

WSU ROAR scholars are audit students, and audit students do not receive credit for their coursework. However, thoughtful feedback and progress reporting can play a powerful role in supporting confidence, motivation, and sense of belonging. 

This guide offers strategies for faculty to provide meaningful, strengths-based feedback and how to use gradebook tools to reflect students' effort and growth in alignment with their learning goals. 

As a reminder, WSU policy does not require instructors to assign grades for audit students. That said, some ROAR students are actively preparing to transition into degree-seeking pathways. These students may request to fully participate in course assignments and receive grades on Canvas. 

Providing Feedback That Encourages Growth

Focus on Strengths and Efforts

• Highlight what the student did well, even if the overall outcome wasn't perfect. For example, "You stayed focus on this task longer than last time. Great progress!"

• Be specific about highlighting effort, strategy, and improvement. This reinforces skills students will continue building on. 

Offer Forward-Moving, Constructive Feedback

• Frame feedback as a tool for growth. Rather than saying, "You missed the point of the assignment," try, "Next time, let's focus on this part of the question to make your response even stronger."

• Use feedback to set clear, actionable steps: "For the next assignment, try organizing your ideas into three main points before writing."

Celebrate Progress

• Acknowledge meaningful steps forward, no matter the size, such as submitting an assignment on time, revising an assignment, or applying a new strategy. 

• Phrases like, "This is a great step toward your goal" help reinforce momentum and build confidence. 

Strategies for Grading in Canvas

Marking Assignments as "Excused" to Reflect Individual Goals

• If a student is working toward a goal of submitting one assignment per week, you can mark the others as "excused" in Canvas (enter ex in the gradebook). This keeps the gradebook clean and helps students focus on what they have accomplished, rather than being discouraged by missing submissions. 

• Example: In a course with three weekly assignments, if a student completes one and the other two are excused, Canvas will reflect meaningful participation aligned with their learnign goals, without displaying a string of zeros.

Provide Honest Grades with Supportive Context

• When entering a low grade, pair it with clear, strengths-based feedback that frames the work as part of a learning process. For example: "This is a great starting point. Let's build on this by adding more detail."

• This approach maintains transparency while reinforcing progress and growth. All students benefit from knowing where they are and how to move forward.

Adapt Grading Practices to Reflect Effort

• If your grading system allows, considering adding a category that reflects participation, effort, or progress. This can help recognize learning gains that may not always show up in traditional assessments.

• Use Canvas comments to celebrate progress with messages like: "Great effort on this assignment. You're building strong habits!" or "Your ideas are developing well. Let's keep going and add more detail!"

Tips for Constructive Feedback

Be Specific and Action-Oriented

• General praise like, "Good job," can be encouraging, but specific feedback builds understanding and momentum. Try: "You explained your point clearly in this paragraph. I can tell you put a lot of thought into it."

• Always aim to end feedback with a clear next step or goal to work toward. 

Focus on Growth, Not Perfection

• Balance your feedback by acknowledging what's working and offering a suggestion for improvement. Rather than using the "sandwich method", aim for honest, encouraing feedback that promotes reflection and progress. For example: "You made a strong case in your first point. To make your argument even stronger, try adding a specific example."

Use Visuals and Concrete Examples

• Pointing to a specific sentence or section in the student's work helps them understand what is going well and what could be developed further. When possible, share an example of a strong response so students can better visualize your expectations. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Providing meaningful feedback and thoughtful grading practices is a critical way to support students in the WSU ROAR program. By focusing on effort, progress, and clear next steps, faculty can help students feel a sense of accomplishment and stay motivated to meet their goals. Collaboration with WSU ROAR staff ensures a seamless and supportive approach to grading and feedback.

Resources and Further Reading

Canvas: Entering Scores for Missed Activities or Excusing Activities

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