Criterion-Based Grading for Learning and Assessment in Unit Operations Laboratory

Goals for student learning in Unit Operations Laboratory are diverse. Students are to develop skills in the planning and execution of experiments, the interpretation of experimental data, and the communication of technical information. Additional goals include gaining familiarity with process equipment, improving teamwork skills, and developing professional habits in safety, documentation, and planning. Each laboratory report grade represents an amalgamated assessment of students’ progress towards all goals, so it cannot be used to assess progress towards any of them. Assessing student progress in our course is additionally complicated because students rotate through experiments supervised and graded by different professors. A criterion-based grading system, inspired by Walvood and Anderson’s Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment, 1 was introduced at Ohio University. A standard grading sheet for all experiments specifies “traits” indicative of progress towards each course goal (e.g., the student’s proposed test matrix indicates ability to design an experiment) and criteria for grading each trait. The purpose of the grading sheet is threefold: (1) Guide student learning by specifying the traits of a good laboratory report. (2) Improve consistency in grading and feedback to students by specifying the key traits to be considered. (3) Collect data to assess student progress towards course goals. Success in achieving the three-fold purpose is being evaluated via student surveys, conversations with faculty, and the assessment data provided by the grading instrument itself. The results of this evaluation are the subject of this presentation.