When it comes to teaching, most instructors agree that grading is the hardest part. We invest a great deal of time and energy into fairly evaluating our students' work and ensuring that we're offering constructive feedback. One of the best strategies for streamlining the grading process is one that should be implemented before the students even receive the assignment. Taking time to carefully design the assignments and articulate your expectations of your students will lead to fewer questions and better student work.
TILT it! The Transparency in Teaching & Learning framework for assignment design is seemingly simple and yet incredibly effective. A TILTed assignment is divided into three components: Purpose, Task, and Criteria. By taking the time to think through these elements carefully, you will motivate your students and ensure that they know exactly what they need to do to be successful on the assignment. Additionally, numerous studies have shown that the benefits of TILTing assignments extend beyond the assignment itself. This small teaching intervention led to students feeling more confident about their ability to complete and an increased sense of belonging. This was especially true for students from historically underserved populations. For more on TILT, visit this webpage with resources and examples.
Darby on transparent assignments
Contract grading?
Specifications grading?
Darby, F., & Lang, J. (2019). Small Teaching Online. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
If you use any information from this site, please cite it appropriately:
UWG Institute for Faculty Excellence. (2021, August 17). How do I ensure that my students understand the assignment and the criteria upon which their work will be evaluated? UWG Online Teaching Faculty Toolkit.https://sites.google.com/westga.edu/onlineteachingfacultytoolkit/online-teaching-faculty-toolkit