11101

11101

General Session - Conference Presentation Only (no formal paper)

Development of an Online Discussion Grading Rubric
Ann Solan, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA, solan@drexel.edu Nick Linardopoulos, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA, drnick@drexel.edu

The purpose of this session is to present the motivation for, development of, and final product of a grading rubric for online discussions.

Indeed, there are a number of books and web sites that provide the rationale for grading rubrics and provide examples of rubrics for graded assignments. Despite the growing popularity of grading rubrics and the parallel growth of online learning, there is a lack of publications on the topic of grading online discussions. Grading discussions (sometimes called class participation) in an online learning environment can be particularly challenging. Unlike face-to-face classes, in an online learning environment most discussions take place on a text-based discussion board. Therefore, the written word is a dynamic that is unique to online discussion. How should it be assessed? For example, some students fall short in either the minimum length or frequency of posts. Or the students might have met the minimum word count, but the post might demonstrate little critical thinking or it may be full of writing errors. How should these scenarios be addressed when grading? The lack of clear guidelines can make students and faculty alike feel frustrated.

During this session, the presenters share their experience of creating and implementing a comprehensive grading rubric for online discussions that evaluates the following criteria: quantity, quality, timeliness, and writing proficiency. Session attendees who teach in or manage online programs will benefit from this practical online teaching tool which can be applied to virtually any online learning environment.

All Audiences online assessment