One of the many challenges faced by chemistry instructors is the requirement of fairly assigning grades. What distinguishes a B- grade from a C+? Or in the instances where there are no plus and minus designations, is it reasonable to give a student with 79% a C and a student with 80% a B? What do numerical values actually mean when, as is often the case in physical chemistry courses, the class size is fairly small and an average on a particular exam hovers around 50%? From an instructor perspective, one of the major benefits of specification based grading is the meaningful assignment of final grades. By creating clear criteria for assignments throughout the semester, and basing the final grade on the number of milestones reached specifications grading can eliminate the need to deal with grade cutoffs entirely. For students, specifications based grading creates an atmosphere where they are expected to be successful in passing the course, clarifies what they need to accomplish for the term, and shifts the focus from achieving a set number of points to understanding topics.<br/> <br/>This talk will highlight how specifications grading has been implemented in a one-semester physical chemistry course using principles of backwards design. Details about course structure, implementation, and the successes and challenges of using specification based grading in the design of a physical chemistry course will be discussed. Comparisons will be drawn between virtual, face-to-face, and hybrid instructional modes.

Quantized grading: Specifications based grading in physical chemistry

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ACS Spring 2023

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