{"id":1773,"date":"2020-04-16T09:56:03","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T15:56:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/?p=1773"},"modified":"2021-05-11T10:13:02","modified_gmt":"2021-05-11T16:13:02","slug":"11-12-compassionate-grading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/11-12-compassionate-grading\/","title":{"rendered":"SIP 11.12 Compassionate Grading"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice?<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/www.msudenver.edu\/media\/marketingandcommunications\/earlybird\/20-april\/grading500.jpg\" alt=\"Student writing in a notebook.\" \/>Last month, in the face of a global pandemic, faculty and students from around the country were forced to make a sudden and drastic shift to remote and online learning. Professors who were used to teaching their students in the classroom are now having to conduct their courses on the other side of a computer screen. Students who were used to having regular in-person contact with their professors\u00a0now\u00a0must\u00a0deal with a\u00a0hodgepodge\u00a0of\u00a0methods for accessing\u00a0course content\u00a0and in some cases face\u00a0strictly online\u00a0instruction\u00a0devoid of any human element.<\/p>\n<p>Online learning isn\u2019t for everybody, but now everybody is having to learn online. For many students, this has created significant hardships. Some students may not have the skill set to be successful online; others may not have the necessary hardware, software or internet capability. In addition to the\u00a0basic\u00a0foundation\u00a0needed to be successful online, there are personal factors. You have students who have lost their jobs, students who are now homeschooling their children full-time and others who are just trying to cope with a world that has been turned upside down. So what does this mean in terms of grading student work? How can we best support our students during this time of crisis and honor our course-learning objectives and expectations?<\/p>\n<h3>Take a SIP of this:\u00a0compassionate grading<\/h3>\n<p>Compassionate grading\u00a0is a\u00a0means of supporting our students. It does not mean\u00a0<em>easier<\/em>\u00a0grading. It is not about lowering standards for quality products and learning but reshapes expectations in terms of manageable assignments, innovative delivery and clear\u00a0communication.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Suggestions for how to implement compassionate grading:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clear, simple communication is essential. Students need to have straightforward information about what is due, when is it due and how they should submit their work.\u00a0Examples of this would be weekly email updates, keeping students up to date on course content and due dates.<\/li>\n<li>Reduce the number and the complexity of assignments. Think especially about assignments that are far more difficult to accomplish given that libraries and other resources are no longer available.*<\/li>\n<li>Create alternates for assignments that are no longer possible. Replace those assignments with choices if you can so students have some control and options, and with less taxing\u00a0tasks. For examples, see\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/sip-3-2-assignment-menus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SIP 3.2<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/sip-3-9-differentiated-assignments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SIP 3.9<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/sip-3-10-universally-designed-value-rubric\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SIP 3.10<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/sip-4-11-student-centered-vs-learner-centered-teaching\/\">SIP 4.11.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Accept late assignments even if that is not your usual practice. We don\u2019t know (and shouldn\u2019t ask) about personal, family, work, etc., obligations outside of our classes. We don\u2019t know why students\u2019 work is late. Is it because they don\u2019t have reliable technology, for example? Now is not the time to hold a hard line about due dates or to ask for\u00a0explanations.\u00a0See\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/sip-10-9-flexibility-with-deadlines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SIP 10.9<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Offer one-on-one help. All of us can create Teams meetings with students to provide tutoring, answer questions, explain directions and support technology challenges. Please make yourself available. Some students will still be reluctant to make appointments or attend office hours, just like under normal circumstances. It\u2019s up to us to ask, again and again: What are your questions? What are your concerns? Do you feel like you understand my expectations?\u00a0I did this with each one of my students individually, and 100% of them asked questions when prompted and invited.<\/li>\n<li>Recognize that \u201cless is more.\u201d Let\u2019s ask our students to complete fewer assignments with higher quality when possible. This will also reduce\u00a0<em>our<\/em>\u00a0workload while we are also stressed about time management and worried about our personal\u00a0situations.<\/li>\n<li>Provide prompt feedback. Now more than ever, students need to know they are doing OK. Respond as quickly as possible to emails, phone calls and assignments when they are turned in. This will reassure students.<\/li>\n<li>Focus your feedback on students\u2019 progress toward course objectives, rather than assessing simply to build a grade.<\/li>\n<li>You have received a FAQ about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msudenver.edu\/coronavirus-update\/resource-documents\/pass-fail-options-faq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the new Pass\/Fail and Withdraw options<\/a>\u00a0that may be appropriate for some students. Reach out to your department chair if you have questions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In conjunction with compassionate grading, let\u2019s allow ourselves some \u201ccompassionate teaching\u201d\u00a0generosity\u00a0(<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/sip-10-8-compassion-on-campus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">see SIP 10.8<\/a>). Your class may not be as rigorous as it was before. Your students won\u2019t have the same opportunities for rich discussion, reflection about real-life classroom experiences or access to beautiful and enriching resources. Give yourself permission to say that\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n<h3>Still thirsty? Take another SIP of this: compassionate grading<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"\\www.insidehighered.com\\digital-learning\\article\\20203\\25\\how-shift-remote-learning-might-affect-students-instructors-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Shift to Remote Learning: The Human Element<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chronicle.com\/article\/10-Tips-to-Support-Students-in\/248380\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">10 Tips to Support Students in a Stressful Shift to Online Learning<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facultyfocus.com\/articles\/online-education\/eight-steps-for-a-smoother-transition-to-online-teaching\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eight Steps for a Smoother Transition to Online Teaching<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facultyfocus.com\/articles\/online-education\/redefining-whats-fair-in-your-transition-to-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Redefining What\u2019s Fair in Your Transition to Online<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Last month, in the face of a global pandemic, faculty and students from around the country were forced to make a sudden and drastic shift to remote and online learning. Professors who were used to teaching their students in the classroom are now having to conduct their courses on &hellip; <\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link btn\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/11-12-compassionate-grading\/\">Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":165,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[460,456,459,457,461,458,450],"class_list":["post-1773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sip-post","tag-alternative-assignment","tag-compassionate-grading","tag-course-learning-objectives","tag-easier-grading","tag-pass-fail","tag-reshaping-expectations","tag-supporting-students","item-wrap"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/165"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1773\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/sips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}