Standards Based Grading in Physical Science

Can standards based grading work for university level class? Examples and lessons from 10SU PS304

Erich GustOctober 1, 2010

Part 1

The basics of Standards Based Grading

What is Standards Based Grading? (SBG)

• An alternative to percentage based and letter grade systems

• Relies on a list of topics or “standards”• Student receives a rating for each item on the

list of standards.• Attempts to give more meaning to grades.

Example Rating Systems0 – Nothing. No knowledge of the

topic.1 – Minimal. Partial knowledge of the

topic. Cannot answer simple questions.

2 – Developing. Some knowledge of the topic. Can answer simple questions.

3 – Proficient. Complete knowledge of the topic. Can answer difficult or subtle questions.

4 – Advanced. Knowledge beyond the scope of the course. Must complete special problems or projects.

0 – Cannot do any of the questions.

1 – Can do some of what was taught with teacher assistance.

2 – Can do easy questions but makes mistakes on difficult questions.

3 – Can do everything that was taught without making mistakes.

4 – Knows it well enough to make connections that weren’t taught.

4 3 2 1 0

A classic argument

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 50

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Student AStudent BStudent CPassing

Who would you want to pack your parachute?

Who would pass the class?

In an ideal world…

• The most recent rating trumps all others.

• The full set of ratings is reported and no averaging in done.

• Students devote extra studying to standards in which their rating is poor.

• Frequent assessment provides accurate and ratings.

• No “point-collecting” i.e. homework, attendance, effort, participation, etc…

• Losing something is emotionally devastating.

• All scores must be boiled down to a single letter grade.

• Students are apathetic and passive.

• Frequent tests are tiresome for everyone involved.

• Having no safety net is terrifying.

In the real world…

Why use SBG?

Benefits• It reflects only what you know

and not other factors such as attendance, effort…

• More information than a lumped grade.

• Possibility of redemption for students.

• Forces students to learn and not binge/purge information.

• Easier and less stressful grading.

Problems• Attendance and effort should

count for something.• ABCDF is a monolithic

institution of society.• Possibility of grade reductions.• Puts students out of their

comfort zone.• Grading is more frequent.

When is using SBG appropriate?

Elementary school, when…• students need essential

skills to succeed at the next grade level.

• lists of standards already exist.

• grades should not be used to punish students.

• teachers should encourage improvement.

• homework is minimal.

University physical science, when…

• students need essential science skills for life.

• possible topics are clearly delineated by equipment.

• grades don’t need to sort students.

• teachers should encourage enjoyment of science.

• homework is minimal.

When is SBG inappropriate?

• When students need lots of specific knowledge to succeed at career tasks.

• When curriculum is varied and decided by instructor.

• When grades must sort the worthy from the unworthy.

• When the majority of learning takes place outside of class.

Part 2

Standards Based Grading in Physical Science

10SU PS304

Preparing to use SBG

• Creating the list of standards.• Creating the grading rules for the semester.• Educating the students about the system.• Writing tests and quizzes.• Deciding how to compile a grade.

PS304 List of Standards Performance Standards – These standards refer to your general ability to think scientifically and do science. These are graded subjectively be the instructor during class. 1) Doing Science

1.1) Formulate scientific questions 1.2) Formulate a procedure 1.3) Present the results of an experiment 1.4) Use experimental results to support a point of view 1.5) Engage in scientific debate 1.6) Evaluate another’s procedure 1.7) Evaluate another’s point of view 1.8) Analyze experimental error and uncertainty 1.9) Compare experimental results to previous research

Content Standards – These standards deal with specific knowledge presented during the course. These are graded by the student’s performance on quizzes. Some of these may be skipped. 2) Static Electricity

2.1) Electric Charge 2.2) Conductors & Insulators 2.3) Electrostatic Induction 2.4) Electric Forces & Fields 2.5) Electric Potential Energy 2.6) Capacitance

3) Electric Circuits 3.1) Voltage 3.2) Electric Current 3.3) Ohm’s Law 3.4) Combining Resistors 3.5) Electric Power 3.6) Diodes 3.7) Capacitors

4) Magnetism 4.1) Magnetic Poles 4.2) Magnetic properties of Materials 4.3) Using a Compass 4.4) Magnetic Fields

5) Electromagnetism

5.1) Ampere’s Law 5.2) Magnetic Fields of Currents 5.3) Magnetic Forces on Currents 5.4) Electric Motors

6) Electromagnetic Induction 6.1) Faraday’s Law 6.2) Electric Generators 6.3) Magnetic Flux 6.4) Transformers 6.5) Electromagnetic Waves

7) Waves 7.1) Properties of Waves 7.2) Standing Waves 7.3) Sound Waves 7.4) Resonance

8) Light 8.1) Reflection 8.2) Refraction 8.3) Lenses 8.4) Interference

43 Standards!25 Class Days

PS304 Course Content Description of content scores 0) Nothing; no knowledge of the topic. 1) Minimal; partial knowledge of the topic; cannot answer simple questions. 2) Sufficient; some knowledge of the topic; can only answer simple questions. 3) Proficient; complete knowledge of the topic; can answer difficult and/or subtle questions. 4) Advanced; knowledge beyond the scope of the course; must complete special problems or projects. Content List 1) Static Electricity 1.1) Electric Charge 1.2) Conductors & Insulators 1.3) Electrostatic Induction 1.4) Electric Forces & Fields 1.5) Electric Potential Energy 2) Electric Circuits 2.1) Voltage 2.2) Electric Current 2.3) Ohm’s Law 2.4) Combining Resistors 2.5) Electric Power 2.6) Capacitors 2.7) Electronics 3) Magnetism 3.1) Magnetic Poles 3.2) Magnetic properties of Materials 3.3) Magnetic Fields 3.4) Magnetic Forces 3.5) Electric Motors

4) Electromagnetic Induction 4.1) Faraday’s Law 4.2) Electric Generators 4.3) Magnetic Flux 4.4) Transformers 4.5) Electromagnetic Waves 5) Waves 5.1) Properties of Waves 5.2) Standing Waves 5.3) Sound Waves 5.4) Resonance 6) Light 6.1) Reflection 6.2) Refraction 6.3) Lenses 6.4) Diffraction

30 Standards!

Lessons: Creating a list of standards

• What is truly essential?• What is separable and what is not?• What is worth asking questions about and

how will you test it?• Annotate the list with references to the book.• Be prepared to skip topics.

10SU Grading Rules

• Quizzes influence standards scores only.• Most recent grade takes precedence.• Quizzes can be corrected (limited) to update scores.• Retest to update scores during office hours.• Homework is not graded.• Challenge problems and projects.• Attendance is taken but only worth 15%.• Final exam can change standards scores.• Final exam is also worth 25%.

Lessons: 10SU Grading Rules

• Quizzes should be frequent and short. 5-10 minutes.• Precedence rules are a nightmare.• Quiz corrections are great, if done right.• Retesting was not popular.• Homework worked.• Challenge problems are very effective.• Attendance worked.• Final exam had too much weight.

Educating the students• “Point-Collecting” is addictive, and students are hooked.

– no homework grade– no effort grade– no participation grade– no extra credit

• Breaking the percent mentality – Don’t average• Comforting the worrisome – Its okay, you can retake it• Dealing with the schemer – I’ll just retake it.• Tough grading questions:

– “So if I get all 3’s is that an A?”– Is a 2 good enough?– How would I get a 4 on this??

• But in the end, it really is a letter grade.

(Un)

TRASH

Lessons: Educating the students

• It will take a couple weeks and quizzes until students realize that its different. Be prepared to re-explain.

• Advertizing retakes promotes learning.• Have a set method of retakes.• Tough grading questions: You WILL need to answer

these eventually.– “So if I get all 3’s is that an A?”– Is a 2 good enough?– How would I get a 4 on this??

Writing tests and quizzes

• Each question is directly tied to a standard. The student is made aware of this.

• Does this question really test what I want to test?

• Design questions to tease out misconceptions.• Do not ask questions with purely numerical

responses. • Use ambiguous or free-response questions.

Example Questions

• Can the electroscope tell you if it is positively charged or negatively charged? Why or why not?

• Discuss and provide examples of two ways that electric power can be observed.

• Design a generator to produce electric current. Be sure to label the items that you used to make the generator. Describe how this generator works and why it will work.

Example Questions• A student has measured the current versus voltage dependence of four circuit elements

labeled A, B, C and D. The data is plotted below in four separate charts. Which of the devices obey Ohm’s law and which do not? Explain your choices.

• For the circuit elements that obey Ohm’s law, estimate their resistances in Ohms.

Grading tests and quizzes

• Grade holistically. Does the student get it or not?

• The student’s job is to inform you of what they know.

• Allowing test corrections.• Stress Re-assessment.

Lessons: Writing tests and quizzes

• It is always possible to write better questions.• Use good questions again in other semesters.• Separate summative assessments from standards.• Corrections can be a huge learning opportunity, if done

right.– Must state what was wrong, why it was wrong.– Must state what to change about the answer.– Must provide detailed correct answer.– Must have attempted the problem to begin with.

• Don’t mix summative tests and standards scores.

Compiling a grade

• 15% for attendance.• 60% from standards (quizzes).• 25% for final exam. Final exam can change

standards scores.• Standards scores added and then Z-scored. Z-

score was mapped back to 60 point scale with variable mean and std. deviation. This set the curve.

ABCDF%% %%

Lessons: Compiling a grade

• 60% was slightly too much weight for standards. • Final exam had to much weight since it could

influence standards scores.• The standards scores must ultimately be

converted to a percentage. There are many options for doing this.

• You should do a midterm progress report.• Setting a curve ended up like every other grading

system.

Is it really different?

• Students quickly realize that standards scores will eventually result in a percent. Some will try to play the system.

• It does give students a better overview of what they should know, and what they can improve (if they care).

• Less homework grading. More quiz grading, but much quicker.

• Must be responsible with office hours.

Is it really better?• Ultimately, the grade is still ABCDF.• It forces a change in the learning process.

– Focuses on the main points. Rewards students for exploring details.

– Does not punish students for not learning every detail.– Requires better test questions.– Possibility of retesting an old topic adds gravity.

• It forces the teacher to self-evaluate.• Frequent quizzes give enormous improvement in feedback.• Knowledge of another grading system; you may need to use

it one day.

The End

Thanks!

ABCDF%% %%

4 3 2 1 0