The Effect of Specifications Grading on Students’ Learning and Attitudes in an Undergraduate-Level Cell Biology Course
ABSTRACT Specifications (specs) grading is a grading system in which mastery of specific educational outcomes is the basis for the final grade a student earns in the course. Implementation of the types of assessments used for specs grading has shown to be beneficial for student learning and motivati...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Society for Microbiology
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00200-21 |
| _version_ | 1798021967626895360 |
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| author | Shoshana D. Katzman Jennifer Hurst-Kennedy Alessandra Barrera Jennell Talley Elisabeth Javazon Mary Diaz Mary E. Anzovino |
| author_facet | Shoshana D. Katzman Jennifer Hurst-Kennedy Alessandra Barrera Jennell Talley Elisabeth Javazon Mary Diaz Mary E. Anzovino |
| author_sort | Shoshana D. Katzman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Specifications (specs) grading is a grading system in which mastery of specific educational outcomes is the basis for the final grade a student earns in the course. Implementation of the types of assessments used for specs grading has shown to be beneficial for student learning and motivation compared to traditional grading systems. We designed a specs grading strategy in an undergraduate Cell Biology course, creating 20 individual learning outcomes (LOs). The grade earned in lecture depended on the number of LOs the student mastered. If students were unable to master the content on their initial attempt, they could earn retakes for each LO assessment by completing an assignment associated with the information covered in that LO. A student’s final class grade was dependent on the number of LOs mastered combined with the grade earned on their final exam. Here, we present how specifications grading was implemented in Cell Biology, differences in overall grade distribution between grading systems, improved performance on content-related assessment questions in sections using specifications grading, and more-positive attitudes for sections using specifications grading than for traditionally graded sections. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T17:22:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f6626c5f3034c2ba051bd81a393daa5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1935-7877 1935-7885 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T17:22:07Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f6626c5f3034c2ba051bd81a393daa52022-12-22T04:12:28ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyJournal of Microbiology & Biology Education1935-78771935-78852021-12-0122310.1128/jmbe.00200-21The Effect of Specifications Grading on Students’ Learning and Attitudes in an Undergraduate-Level Cell Biology CourseShoshana D. Katzman0Jennifer Hurst-Kennedy1Alessandra Barrera2Jennell Talley3Elisabeth Javazon4Mary Diaz5Mary E. Anzovino6Georgia Gwinnett College, School of Science and Technology, Lawrenceville, Georgia, USAGeorgia Gwinnett College, School of Science and Technology, Lawrenceville, Georgia, USAGeorgia Gwinnett College, School of Science and Technology, Lawrenceville, Georgia, USAGeorgia Gwinnett College, School of Science and Technology, Lawrenceville, Georgia, USAGeorgia Gwinnett College, School of Science and Technology, Lawrenceville, Georgia, USAGeorgia Gwinnett College, School of Science and Technology, Lawrenceville, Georgia, USAGeorgia Gwinnett College, School of Science and Technology, Lawrenceville, Georgia, USAABSTRACT Specifications (specs) grading is a grading system in which mastery of specific educational outcomes is the basis for the final grade a student earns in the course. Implementation of the types of assessments used for specs grading has shown to be beneficial for student learning and motivation compared to traditional grading systems. We designed a specs grading strategy in an undergraduate Cell Biology course, creating 20 individual learning outcomes (LOs). The grade earned in lecture depended on the number of LOs the student mastered. If students were unable to master the content on their initial attempt, they could earn retakes for each LO assessment by completing an assignment associated with the information covered in that LO. A student’s final class grade was dependent on the number of LOs mastered combined with the grade earned on their final exam. Here, we present how specifications grading was implemented in Cell Biology, differences in overall grade distribution between grading systems, improved performance on content-related assessment questions in sections using specifications grading, and more-positive attitudes for sections using specifications grading than for traditionally graded sections.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00200-21standards-based gradingmastery learningSTEM educationalternative grading strategycell biologyhigher education |
| spellingShingle | Shoshana D. Katzman Jennifer Hurst-Kennedy Alessandra Barrera Jennell Talley Elisabeth Javazon Mary Diaz Mary E. Anzovino The Effect of Specifications Grading on Students’ Learning and Attitudes in an Undergraduate-Level Cell Biology Course Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education standards-based grading mastery learning STEM education alternative grading strategy cell biology higher education |
| title | The Effect of Specifications Grading on Students’ Learning and Attitudes in an Undergraduate-Level Cell Biology Course |
| title_full | The Effect of Specifications Grading on Students’ Learning and Attitudes in an Undergraduate-Level Cell Biology Course |
| title_fullStr | The Effect of Specifications Grading on Students’ Learning and Attitudes in an Undergraduate-Level Cell Biology Course |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effect of Specifications Grading on Students’ Learning and Attitudes in an Undergraduate-Level Cell Biology Course |
| title_short | The Effect of Specifications Grading on Students’ Learning and Attitudes in an Undergraduate-Level Cell Biology Course |
| title_sort | effect of specifications grading on students learning and attitudes in an undergraduate level cell biology course |
| topic | standards-based grading mastery learning STEM education alternative grading strategy cell biology higher education |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00200-21 |
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