Recently a colleague asked me for a suggestion on grading class participation and attendance. Here is the format developed by Professor Charles E. Cardwell at Pellissippi State. He has the students fill out the form each day and says it only takes a few minutes to record these in his gradebook. According to Professor Cardwell, having to complete the form encourages the students to come to class on time and to do the reading assignments.
Date ______________
By circling the scores below, I, ______________________ hereby solemnly declare and affirm that:
Attendance: circle the scores for ALL that apply
I came to class 1
I arrived on time 1
I stayed in class the full class period 1Preparation: circle the ONE score that best applies
I didn’t read the assignment before class 0
I scanned the assignment quickly before class 1
I studied the assignment carefully before class 2Participation: circle the ONE or TWO scores that apply
I didn’t pay much attention to class discussion 0
I listened attentively to the class discussion 1
I contributed to class discussion 1Add the circled scores for your DAILY GRADE _______
I like the idea of letting the students take responsibility for their own attendance and participation.
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