The demographic characteristics of the student population at Georgia Gwinnett College closely resemble those of the local community - a diverse range of ethnicities, educational backgrounds, and socio-economic status. In an attempt to improve student success in chemistry courses, several faculty members at this institution adopted an assessment methodology called specifications grading, wherein students control their course grades through multiple attempts (with limitations) on assessments of course objectives designed to clearly define core chemistry skills and knowledge requisite for success. Because specifications grading involves students revisiting course content until it is mastered, the constructs of perseverance, motivation, and mindset could provide insight into student success in chemistry courses using this assessment structure, especially with students from populations historically underrepresented in STEM courses. Qualitative and quantitative findings surrounding these constructs will be presented, along with analysis of student performance on cognitive measures as they relate to student demographics. Implications for using specifications grading with diverse student populations will be discussed.

Specifications grading with a diverse chemistry student population

2019 Spring National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.