Work-in-Progress: Implementation of Standards-based Grading in a Mass Transfer/Kinetics Course

Alison Leigh Banka

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: WIP: Student Success and Sustainability
Tagged Division: Chemical Engineering Division (ChED)
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48545

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Paper Authors

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Alison Leigh Banka University of Georgia orcid.org/0000-0003-3731-4647

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Dr. Alison Banka is a Lecturer in the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. She completed her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. Her current educational and research interests include the incorporation of professional skills (such as teamwork and industry-relevant types of technical communication), active learning, and alternative grading techniques into engineering courses.

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Abstract

Standards-based grading (SBG) is an alternative grading technique where grading is based on student demonstration of specific learning outcome (standards) mastery. While a traditionally graded course may contain several high-stakes, high-stress exams throughout the semester graded with partial credit, an SBG course instead allows for students to retry learning outcomes where they have not yet shown proficiency. In short, the focus in SBG is student learning and demonstrated expertise of standards and not competition between students or a fight for enough partial credit to simply pass a course. Despite the increasing popularity of SBG in primary and secondary schools and mathematics courses, SBG has not been utilized as often in higher education engineering courses.

This paper presents the implementation of SBG in an upper-level core mass transfer/kinetics class taught to two different engineering majors (N = 30 students). Previously, students were evaluated via high-stakes, highly weighted quizzes (approximately one each month) and a final exam graded with partial credit. In the redesigned SBG course, students were evaluated on fifteen distinct learning outcomes (‘course metrics’) via pass/no pass or pass/revise/no pass quizzes administered approximately weekly, plus one course metric that evaluated students based on their in-class participation and completion of homework. Students had the option to retake quizzes for a set number of course metrics at designated times throughout the semester and during the final exam period of the class; a retake tests the same learning outcomes, but with a different question and prompt to solve. Student final course grades were based on the total number of course metrics ultimately passed throughout the semester.

This paper additionally summarizes initial student feedback collected in a mid-semester formative course evaluation and key focus group results on student perceptions of the course throughout the semester, perceptions of their own learning, stress levels throughout the course, and how students prepared for and took quizzes. Overall, this paper provides an example of transforming a traditionally graded core engineering course into a SBG course, including student perceptions and feedback.

Citation
Format

Banka, A. L. (2024, June), Work-in-Progress: Implementation of Standards-based Grading in a Mass Transfer/Kinetics Course Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48545

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Standards-based grading (SBG) is an alternative grading technique where grading is based on student demonstration of specific learning outcome (standards) mastery. While a traditionally graded course may contain several high-stakes, high-stress exams throughout the semester graded with partial credit, an SBG course instead allows for students to retry learning outcomes where they have not yet shown proficiency. In short, the focus in SBG is student learning and demonstrated expertise of standards and not competition between students or a fight for enough partial credit to simply pass a course. Despite the increasing popularity of SBG in primary and secondary schools and mathematics courses, SBG has not been utilized as often in higher education engineering courses.

This paper presents the implementation of SBG in an upper-level core mass transfer/kinetics class taught to two different engineering majors (N = 30 students). Previously, students were evaluated via high-stakes, highly weighted quizzes (approximately one each month) and a final exam graded with partial credit. In the redesigned SBG course, students were evaluated on fifteen distinct learning outcomes (‘course metrics’) via pass/no pass or pass/revise/no pass quizzes administered approximately weekly, plus one course metric that evaluated students based on their in-class participation and completion of homework. Students had the option to retake quizzes for a set number of course metrics at designated times throughout the semester and during the final exam period of the class; a retake tests the same learning outcomes, but with a different question and prompt to solve. Student final course grades were based on the total number of course metrics ultimately passed throughout the semester.

This paper additionally summarizes initial student feedback collected in a mid-semester formative course evaluation and key focus group results on student perceptions of the course throughout the semester, perceptions of their own learning, stress levels throughout the course, and how students prepared for and took quizzes. Overall, this paper provides an example of transforming a traditionally graded core engineering course into a SBG course, including student perceptions and feedback.
AU  - Alison Leigh Banka
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Work-in-Progress: Implementation of Standards-based Grading in a Mass Transfer/Kinetics Course
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/48545
ER  -