Specs Grading
Specifications Grading#
The assignment and grading structure for this course might be a little different than what you're used to. In this course, we'll use something called Specifications Grading. The goals of the system are to reduce the stress and mystery of grades while also raising academic standards. I chose this system to complement the technologies and digital methods we will be learning this term, as well as to combat grade anxiety. It is more important to me that you explore and experiment with these methods than it is that you get the "right answer." It's hard to feel comfortable experimenting and making mistakes if you're worried about every little point.
So rather than assign points or grades, I will mark each assignment as Complete/Incomplete according to a set of specifications.
You must complete a certain number of assignments in each category to receive the corresponding grade, as seen in the table below. This means that your grade is always going up as you complete more assignments. It also means that you must complete the requisite number of assignments in each category to get the grade.
You will use Canvas to turn in assignments and to receive feedback. I will mark your assignments as complete/incomplete, however! Canvas will not be able to calculate your current grade with this system.
This is a lot to get used to at first, so please ask any questions you have early in the semester. We will do a midterm check-in so you have a good understanding of where you are.
If you'd like to learn more, here's a resource from UN-Lincoln.
Tokens#
You're not expected to be perfect at every assignment! To help you recover from any incomplete assignments, you will be assigned three tokens. Using a token will give you one week to revise and resubmit an assignment to receive credit. To use a token, you must submit an entry in Canvas declaring which assignment you're revising. Then you must re-submit your revised work for the appropriate assignment in Canvas. I'll award a point in Canvas for each token you use, but these points are not factored into your final grade. Using a token does not guarantee that you will receive a complete on the re-submission, but hopefully with my feedback you can get there.
Grading Scale#
| To earn a... | Complete the following |
|---|---|
| A | 9 weekly activity logs 12 blog posts 6 project pieces |
| A- | 8 weekly activity logs 11 blog posts 6 project pieces |
| B+ | 7 weekly activity logs 10 blog posts 5 project pieces |
| B | 6 weekly activity logs 9 blog posts 4 project pieces |
| B- | 5 weekly activity logs 8 blog posts 3 project pieces |
| C+ | 4 weekly activity logs 7 blog posts 2 project pieces |
| C | 3 weekly activity logs 6 blog posts 2 project pieces |
| C- | 2 weekly activity logs 5 blog posts 2 project pieces |
| D | 1 activity log less than 5 blog posts 1 project piece |
Here is a Specs Grading worksheet to tally up your grade. You might need to right click and save the document.
Attendance Policy#
I get it, life happens. If you need to miss class, please email me in advance (before noon on class day if possible). It helps me plan our activities if I know how many students will be attending and keeps me from worrying that you've fallen in the river.
That being said, the way I've designed this course means that if you're not in the room, you will miss a lot of learning that can't be made up by the reading. Once you have more than 2 absences, it will affect your grade. Every subsequent absence will decrease your letter grade by one step (B to B-, B- to C+, etc.)
And while I want you to succeed in the next stage of your career, please try to avoid scheduling meetings, interviews, or extra-curriculars during class time. Missing more than 45 minutes of class will constitute a full absence.