Grading is one of the most stressful and time-consuming parts of teaching. The endless hours spent assessing papers and assignments often come with a mix of frustrations, exhaustion and even self-doubt. The pressure to grade fairly, efficiently and meaningfully can feel overwhelming, especially when it’s easy to feel buried under a mountain of assessments.
But here’s the thing: much of the stress we feel around grading is fueled by certain myths we have come to accept without question. In fact, there are several pervasive myths about grading that might be making the process harder than it has to be. Let’s look at three myths to see how rethinking them can not only make grading less stressful but also help it become a more effective tool for student learning. By challenging these misconceptions, we can create a grading approach that’s not only manageable but also meaningful for both instructors and students.
1. Grading Needs to Be Time-Consuming to Be Fair
- Myth: For grading to be thorough and fair, it must involve a large amount of time and effort.
- Reality: While grading should be thoughtful, it doesn’t always have to be labor-intensive. Rubrics, clear criteria, and well-structured assessments can make grading more efficient without compromising fairness or quality. Time-intensive grading can often lead to burnout without significantly improving feedback quality.
- Strategy:
- Use Rubrics and Clear Criteria: Develop rubrics that clearly outline expectations for assignments. Share these with students beforehand to streamline grading and promote transparency.
- Peer Review Activities: Integrate structured peer assessments where students evaluate each other’s work using the rubric. This promotes collaboration and reduces grading load.
- Auto-Graded Homework: Utilize Learning Management System (LMS) tools to create auto-graded quizzes or assignments for practice problems or objective assessments, saving time for more complex tasks.
- Self-grading Strategy: Encourage students to assess their own work before submitting it. Provide a rubric or checklist that clearly outlines key components of the assignment. This helps students engage critically with their own work and improves their understanding of the assessment criteria.
2. Detailed Feedback is More Important Than the Grade Itself
- Myth: Students value detailed feedback over the grade they receive.
- Reality: While feedback is essential for growth, many students still prioritize the grade itself. This is often due to the way grades affect scholarships, internships, and future opportunities. Ideally, feedback should accompany grades to provide students with insight into their performance, but instructors should also be aware of the weight students place on grades in addition to feedback.
- Strategy: Use or create reusable feedback templates for common issues or successes. This maintains quality feedback while reducing time spent on individual comments.
- Here are examples for various disciplines that you can use a departure point for creating a customized template for your subject area. Link
- Here is a comment bank from the University of Victoria Link
- Here are some examples of academic feedback from the University of Aberdeen Link
- Selective Feedback: Focus feedback on specific aspects of an assignment that align with learning outcomes, rather than commenting on everything.
3. All Assignments Must Be Graded for Learning to Happen
- Myth: Students will only take assignments seriously if they are graded.
- Reality: Ungraded assignments, formative assessments, and feedback-based activities can foster a deeper understanding of material by allowing students to practice and receive constructive feedback without the pressure of grades. These types of assessments often encourage risk-taking and creativity, which can enhance learning.
- Strategy:
- Formative Assessments: Incorporate low-stakes activities, such as polls, concept maps, or quick reflections, to engage students without adding to your grading load.
- Ungraded Practice Assignments: Offer ungraded assignments with automated or peer feedback. For instance, students could complete practice essays or problem sets and discuss their answers in class.
- Checkpoint Reviews: Provide quick verbal or written feedback during project checkpoints instead of grading every step. This fosters progress and accountability without formal assessments.
Grading doesn’t have to be a source of endless stress. By being aware of these common myths, we can shift our perspective and practices to create a more manageable, impactful grading process. Efficient strategies like using rubrics, integrating peer and self-assessments, and incorporating ungraded practice assignments not only save time but also enrich the learning experience.
The goal of grading is not just to evaluate but to guide and inspire students toward deeper learning. By focusing on what truly matters, clarity, fairness, and actionable feedback, we can make grading a tool that benefits both instructors and students. It’s about finding balance, reducing the workload while fostering a classroom environment where assessment promotes growth, creativity, and genuine engagement with the material.
Further Learning
- Check out the resources on the North Island College Teach Anywhere
- If you have any questions please reach out to the team in the Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation
Looking Ahead
There will be an Assessment Course Design Workshop (online any 4 days in May /June). For more information contact Natalie Ward @ Natalie.Ward@nic.bc.ca
References
- Boud, D., & Molloy, E. (2013). Feedback in higher and professional education: Understanding it and doing it well. Routledge.
- Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112.
- Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199-218.
- Nilson, L. B. (2016). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
- Sadler, D. R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional Science, 18(2), 119-144.
- Walvoord, B. E., & Johnson Anderson, V. (2010). Effective grading: A tool for learning and assessment in college. Jossey-Bass.
Written by Rosemary Vogt in consultation with Natalie Ward and Rachel Goodliffe