Most of the courses I teach have a subjective element to them (viscomm, for those I much prefer a very loose rubric. Perhaps splitting the total points into 3 or 4 sections with the overall assignment parameters, allowing quite a bit of subjectivity and preventing students 'checking the boxes'. On the flip side though, for scripting/programming or IT related courses, rubrics are great and the more detailed the better; in those cases, 1+1 doesn't equal blue, like in viscomm, but 1+1 equals 2 and the rubrics speed grading where subjectivity doesn't come into play. That said, I've been in both… >>>

I have been using rubrics on assignments for years. But, recently I have had a number of strange issues. For example, in a recent assignment the students were to build a PowerPoint of 6 to 8 slides. I included in the assignment points for meeting the required length but I did not think any students would miss the part about doing a PowerPoint. I had one student turn in a paper in word. Because my rubric only gave a few points for required length the student ended up with a B on the assignment because they covered the topics in… >>>

My question/statement would be, Is it possible or ethical for that matter to utilize summative assessment data from a prior class as a diagnostic for their next class of the same field? It sounds like an arborous task because I would assume that you would have to generalize all the data/questions into categories, much like the SAT's results, e.g English, math, etc, since you cannot provide specifics to the next instructor. We used to do student summaries that we would pass along to the next instructor so they could get a little heads up on students that might need a… >>>

Each term, I have students who provide evaluations based on quality information that is aimed at helping develop the course. However, I also have students who provide evaluations are that do not yield much relevance in regards to making needed or relevant modifications in the course. Typically, the evaluations by the latter are from those students who chose to avoid taking responsibility in the course although every effort was made by me to help the student. I found that instructors cannot be swayed by such evaluations because it will cause the quality of your course to diminish. Doing so does… >>>

This area is of particular interest to me based on my experiences. It seems that there are many students who have trouble in the area of grammar (proper sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, etc.). It seems that the students must first master the skills in English / Language Arts before matriculating into core major courses. Without this, the student's ability to perform at the expected (and reasonable) level will not be satisfied, and the student's grade will suffer, not to mention the onset of frustration by the student and instructor. A few other instructors have shared the same issue, and we… >>>

I firmly believe that objective and subjective evaluations are necessary in every class because each offers a level of assessment that gives the instructor a final and accurate picture of the class generally and each student specifically. However, subjective evaluation is important for reasons beyond regular assessments. I found that many students lack the ability to think critically, express themselves in writing, properly structure and organize thoughts, and use proper grammar. While not every instructor teaches English, part of our duty is to ensure that each student is prepared to function in and beyond the class for their overall success.… >>>