The date says Apr 2nd for me in Australia. ;) It must be a very serious post and not at all silly. Hehe.
But, you know, for some of our lab report assessments for undergrad, the idea of the concatenated responses is actually quite good. We use a rubric for marking, where you select predefined grades marks per criterion, but then we add a personal comment at the end. Some stock statements (based on experience of usual pitfalls etc) to copy/paste might actually save some time.
And on random numbers, last year I marked a student report (one of 60 mini-theses that nearly killed me they took so long) where the student brazenly stated in their methods that they used a random number generator to assign statistical p-values at random!! Even though the p-values had already been supplied for them and we'd gone over in class how to calculate them from the data if they wanted to try it themselves. Sigh. They failed.
When I was teaching in school I produced a list of standard comments, so on stuents' work i might Write a unique response but then also add, eg, "See comments statement #13 as well.". Saved a lot of time. I have never liked rubrics though. That student sounds a bit daft, using random numbers, especially if not necessary!
Terry, I was about to say 'well, I'm glad I've read this BEFORE writing the (glowing) feedback I'd intended to give you for your course teaching........ and then I realised that you'd written this post on April Fools' Day!
Oh, now I know, following you, that I can reduce my time marking- reading Substack articles, essays, etcetera, yours and others without any excuses. Thanks.
Oh, for heaven's sake! You crack me up, prof. Assessment is essential
HOWEVER: You COULD hand out a similar comment bank to each student when they enter the class. Have them use it as a rubric for scoring their own work. Have them defend their scores to you. Or have them trade stories with each other sometimes and score each other with the rubric. I'll bet they would write more succinctly if they knew the rules in advance. I know I would. Just saying.
I did something similar in my world-renowned Homework Excuse Management System. I told them that whenever they didn't feeline doing their hoework, just tell me what excuse number they fancied using. They would tick it off on their sheet, and I would tick it off on mine. Worked a treat. My spreadsheet version of it was even featured in The Guardian! Chortle
I do hope you kept all those students' check marks. When parents stormed your classroom and wanted to know why you failed their kid, you had the kid's own handwriting admitting to not turning in the homework. Their fault, not yours. Evidence.
Oof. Reading student work. I'd have them give me a single paragraph. That's all. Just one. Simply understanding the assignment will teach them 90% of what they need to know
The date says Apr 2nd for me in Australia. ;) It must be a very serious post and not at all silly. Hehe.
But, you know, for some of our lab report assessments for undergrad, the idea of the concatenated responses is actually quite good. We use a rubric for marking, where you select predefined grades marks per criterion, but then we add a personal comment at the end. Some stock statements (based on experience of usual pitfalls etc) to copy/paste might actually save some time.
And on random numbers, last year I marked a student report (one of 60 mini-theses that nearly killed me they took so long) where the student brazenly stated in their methods that they used a random number generator to assign statistical p-values at random!! Even though the p-values had already been supplied for them and we'd gone over in class how to calculate them from the data if they wanted to try it themselves. Sigh. They failed.
When I was teaching in school I produced a list of standard comments, so on stuents' work i might Write a unique response but then also add, eg, "See comments statement #13 as well.". Saved a lot of time. I have never liked rubrics though. That student sounds a bit daft, using random numbers, especially if not necessary!
1st April I gather. I wondered for a moment!
😂 I wanted the article to read like it COULD be serious! Chortle
I was going to skip reading this because my inbox is overfull and I assumed it was advice for teachers. I should know better. Hilarious as usual.
Thanks, Jeanne, and yes you SHOULD know better by now! Chortle.
Slow learner
😂😂
This is hilarious AND perhaps not so far-off from actual teaching approaches AND a sterling advertisement for upcoming courses. Bravo. 😂
🤣 thanks very much, Troy!
HA!!!!!!!!!!
Terry, I was about to say 'well, I'm glad I've read this BEFORE writing the (glowing) feedback I'd intended to give you for your course teaching........ and then I realised that you'd written this post on April Fools' Day!
Bravo! SOOOOO FUNNY!!!!!!!!
😂😹 Glad you enjoyed it, Rebecca!
Good thing that I know that this is a joke.
Laughed out loud at "consider adding more detail..."
😂
How April first of you!!
Indeed! Chortle 😁
still chortling--even if it is April 2nd. Chortle's are central to this year.
🤣 I agree, Jill. Any time of year, in fact. Tee hee!
Oh, now I know, following you, that I can reduce my time marking- reading Substack articles, essays, etcetera, yours and others without any excuses. Thanks.
😂 you are most welcome, Larisa!
Thank you for your permission.
permission? LOL!
My first thought was, do your students assess you? That was also my second thought.
YES WE DO! Harshly, and with no mercy! 🤣😉
(Seriously, though - the course was fantastic, and Terry is a great teacher!)
Thank you! Chortle. Aw, shucks.
🤣
Oh, for heaven's sake! You crack me up, prof. Assessment is essential
HOWEVER: You COULD hand out a similar comment bank to each student when they enter the class. Have them use it as a rubric for scoring their own work. Have them defend their scores to you. Or have them trade stories with each other sometimes and score each other with the rubric. I'll bet they would write more succinctly if they knew the rules in advance. I know I would. Just saying.
I did something similar in my world-renowned Homework Excuse Management System. I told them that whenever they didn't feeline doing their hoework, just tell me what excuse number they fancied using. They would tick it off on their sheet, and I would tick it off on mine. Worked a treat. My spreadsheet version of it was even featured in The Guardian! Chortle
I do hope you kept all those students' check marks. When parents stormed your classroom and wanted to know why you failed their kid, you had the kid's own handwriting admitting to not turning in the homework. Their fault, not yours. Evidence.
Yep! 😂
Oof. Reading student work. I'd have them give me a single paragraph. That's all. Just one. Simply understanding the assignment will teach them 90% of what they need to know
Yeah, but what if they channelled Joyce and wrote a paragraph 500 pages long?
That was my second idea- knowing how much you love Joyce.
🤣
OMG 🤣
I'd hand it back and tell the student you gotta walk before you can run.
Great answer! 😂