MeTA musings

This is a follow-up post to "Is it REALLY possible to not grade homework?"

I teach a Statistics & Discrete Math course:  90% of the course mirrors a typical introductory statistics course in college - from descriptive statistics to inferential statistics including one and two sample hypothesis tests.  For the first half of the course, I graded pretty traditionally - points for completing homework assignments, points for quizzes and projects and even more points for tests.  I used weighted grades, because its a main idea in one of the units so it's a pretty practical way of relating with students.  I digress.

For the second half of the course, I made the switch to standards-based grading.  (Trying to put my money where my mouth is...) Points were awarded on tests using a 4-point scale and homework was no longer collected or graded. (The answers are always posted)  I used periodic "checkpoints" which were basically 2 questions similar to the homework that I collected every two or three days as an ongoing feedback mechanism.  I did not grade these, but instead wrote comments on the problems and handed them back to students.  I didn't make this change cold turkey though - it went something like this.  I wanted to remove the grading aspect of practice and emphasize the feedback.  This system seemed to make sense, but I was anxious to hear what the students thought of it using the end-of-course evaluation.

• I liked how the homework was graded.  It gives more responsibility to the student.
• I really liked the method you used.  It seemed like I did better in the class.
• good when you don't have to turn them in b/c then you don't have to keep doing problems you already know how to do
• I liked having the homework graded because if you didn't do good on a test youre grad wouldn't be effected as much
• I think I would rather have the homework graded because I would actually do it.
• good liked it when if you didn't do your homework it wasn't good so you learn a lot more
• I like the 2nd way of grading.  It gives us more responsibility and makes us control our own grade.
• I love the new grading system!  I still did my homework
• It was weird.  But it helped to do the homework wheather it was worth 1 point or no points
• good.  I liked how homework wasn't graded.  I still did it thou because it would help you on the test.   I think that should stay.
• I think daily homework assignments are good, because when we didn't have to do it, nobody ever did.
• I liked the way they were towards the end better.
• I like how we switched to optional homework cause it created less stress if I didn't finish it.
• I liked not having them graded!  That way I still did my homework, but the pressure to have it done before class was off
• I thought the homework was good not to much just enough and grading was very fair
• I didn't do any
• Awesome.  The homework wasn't too long, but you picked problems that really helped me understand what was going on.  
• I wish homework was graded.  Though I did my homework, I felt it would be nice to earn points for it as well.  I felt it gave me a greater incentive to do my homework when it was graded.