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Challenges and Experiences in Implementing a Specifications Grading System in an Upper-Division Undergraduate Computer Networks Course

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Computing and Information Technology Division (CIT) Technical Session 3

Tagged Division

Computing and Information Technology Division (CIT)

Page Count

13

DOI

10.18260/1-2--43152

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/43152

Download Count

204

Paper Authors

biography

Mahima Agumbe Suresh San Jose State University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0003-4434-3155

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Mahima Agumbe Suresh is an Assistant Professor at San Jose State University. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University in December 2015, advised by Dr. Radu Stoleru. After her Ph.D., she was a postdoctoral researcher at Xerox Research Labs, India, where she worked on crime analytics and process mining. Her research interests include edge computing, machine learning, modeling and system design for cyber-physical systems and the Internet of Things. She has published in several peer-reviewed conferences and journals and has been a program committee member at several conferences.

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Abstract

Computer Networks is an important course in most undergraduate curriculums in Computing disciplines. The course learning objectives cover a broad range of topics and skills. The students are expected to achieve mastery of the broad layered architecture of the Internet, while also demonstrating a deeper level of understanding of each layer. Higher level of mastery can either indicate a more deep understanding of each layer or an in-depth understanding of one layer. Traditional point-based grading systems fail to capture mastery over concepts and skills in the course. Students also find it difficult to ascertain where they stand in the class. Specifications grading formalizes the skills and understanding of concepts that students have to demonstrate in order to achieve a particular final letter grade in the course. The system also supports revising and resubmitting student work, thereby inculcating the interest to learn rather than achieve a minimum number of points. In this paper, I present my experience in developing and implementing a specifications grading system for an upper-division undergraduate computer networks course over two semesters. In the paper, I will present how to implement a strong specifications grading system for computer networks by mapping the learning outcomes map to assessment targets. Further, I will elaborate how the assessments can be bundled to form specifications for the final letter grade. I will also elaborate on the teaching and grading load to handle revisions. This system was implemented over two semesters - Fall 2021 and Spring 2022. My learnings from each attempt and the changes I made in the second iteration will also be presented. Overall, the grading system was accepted positively across two semesters, without increasing the grading load on the instructor.

Agumbe Suresh, M. (2023, June), Challenges and Experiences in Implementing a Specifications Grading System in an Upper-Division Undergraduate Computer Networks Course Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43152

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