Amanda Elliott

Publication Date

8-1997

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

David LeNoir, John Hagaman, Linda Uhlenkott

Comments

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Degree Program

Department of English

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

Grades in a composition class should be fogged like the value of money when a purchase is made on credit. The money actually spent is not realized until the end of the month when the statement arrives in the mail. The same principle may be applied to a monthly writing unit in which the teacher evaluates the unit as a whole; students see only their final unit grade instead of separate grades for quizzes, tests, peer-review workshops, and other components a teacher may choose to assess in the course.

Returning in hand only a unit letter grade lessens the number of grades to which students are actually exposed thereby taking the emphasis off grades for each individual assignment or activity and placing the focus on writing. As a result, students do not feel pressured by or with a grade for completing and participating in assignments. Receiving a grade every three or four weeks illustrates the positive aspects of spending on credit and allows students to better gauge their level of improvement.

A unit setup encourages the growth of first-year students into responsible writers by coaching students through the writing process instead of awarding each performance with a grade. In addition, the more autonomous students feel over their writing and the less driven they are to get a grade, the better they can compose. And with the increased importance of writing across the curriculum, students need more than ever before the investment of sound writing skills and enhanced writing confidence. The Unit Grading System meets all of these objectives and more.

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Creative Writing | Curriculum and Instruction | Education | English Language and Literature | Teacher Education and Professional Development

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