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Contents
ASSESSMENT
We all learn by doing
Remember this mantra: we learn by doing!
So in an art studio, the end product is nice to have. But it’s really not fair to wait until the end of the process to grade a finished work. That often privileges talent and fails to recognize efforts to learn and improve.
The studio is designed so that everyone can improve their skills regardless of their starting point. So is it fair if the person who learns more gets a lesser grade?
OK, who “deserves” the better grade here? It depends on what, how, and from where you measure “better”… |
Let’s say you come in knowing absolutely nothing about art. Your first project is clumsy, but you learn from the process and apply that to the second project, which is improves. This pattern persists so that by the final project, you clearly demonstrate a stronger understanding of your process.
Say there’s another student, Jamie, who is super talented. Your work can’t even compare in quality to Jamie’s beautiful finished stuff.
But Jamie doesn’t submit any Canvas postings and is clearly not evolving or challenging themself as an artist. Jamie’s just here to show off and thinks this will be an easy “A” because they already know how to do this. Your work never rises to Jamie’s quality, but you work harder and learn more by comparison.
Who earns the superior grade in this scenario, you or Jamie?
You are Your Own Yardstick
Even if someone else’s work is clearly superior to yours, you are your own yardstick. This is not a talent contest!
Don’t compare your work to others. That’s not how I will grade you. Process is what I evaluate, because this can help me give you ongoing feedback to improve your learning — and my teaching!
Therefore, we use a point system to assess your ongoing learning. In this system, everyone starts at 0 and earns points, up to an ideal that demonstrates full proficiency. So, I don’t “give” you a grade, and I don’t “deduct” points from an assumed starting point like an “A” or a “100.”
How do I “measure” you with your own “yardstick?” I don’t wait until a project is finished, because that would not allow me to gauge progress in real time. So your yardstick doesn’t look like this:
Instead, we break the process down into chunks. This strategy is known as micro-assessment. You have several opportunities to work out the process. And: you have the opportunity to adjust and resubmit work based on my feedback for improvement. So, your yardstick looks a bit more like this:
Formative vs. Summative
Even if you’ve never heard this term, you know what summative assessments are: exams and term papers. They measure the end product of learning, not the process. They are often high-stakes: worth a lot of points.
If I only used summative assessment, process would be opaque to me. Jamie would always get an A, and you might always get a B or a C.
Formative assessments are different. You might know these too: surveys, pop quizzes. They help students and instructors alike to identify learning objectives that need work. Formative assessments are typically low-stakes, worth just a few or even no points at all.
In a learning-by-doing model, formative assessment is critical.
So I flip the script. We emphasize formative assessments by 1) giving them a value equal to or greater than a summative assessment, and 2) doing a lot of them: references, exercises, surveys, and process postings all contribute to my understanding of your process. Your summative assessment — the final presentation for each project — is valued at equal to or less than the formative. Let’s see what this looks like.
The Point System
We have 4 broad categories for evaluation, each of equal importance and value.
ATTENDANCE
300 POINTS |
PARTICIPATION 300 POINTS |
300 POINTS PRESENTATION |
300 POINTS
PROFESSIONALISM |
Let’s unpack each one to find out how points are earned.
Attendance
Participation
Presentation
Professionalism
Attendance is a formative assessment and a pre-condition for all else: you earn credit for being present so you may learn by doing. Chronic absence — 3 (10%) or more absent days regardless of reason — has a negative affect on academic achievement. More than 6 (20%) places you at higher risk for failure. Eliminating absence and its evil henchman tardiness — arriving late or leaving early — are the most significant things you can do to achieve success. By adhering to these guidelines you may earn the following:
- 10 points earned for on-time full attendance per work session, total 30 sessions:
- 5 for arriving by session start time
- 5 for attending entire session
- Forfeiture for tardiness or inattention:
- arrival 15 minutes or later after session start
- any unplanned departure prior to session end
- double-dipping: working on something other than our course work agenda during a planned work session. This includes other course work, irrelevant engagement with social media or texting, et cetera.
- Points awarded:
- 20 for Add-Drop period (2 class sessions)
- 10 for recognized University holiday
- 10 for a canceled session by University or instructor
- 10 for a planned absence with 24 hr notice via Canvas email for any sanctioned University, health, family, transportation, faith, or life event
Making up for missed work | With the understanding that time and logistics prohibit repetition of session materials for any absence, know that you have backup! The Canvas modules and course materials in newMediaWiki are written to function in an online, hybrid, AND live-delivery model, so you are able to self-guide through them. Read instructions in the course materials for completing any missed work on your own outside of class, scheduling a meet-up if necessary to address questions after reading.
Total points: 300
Participation is a formative assessment. It is demonstrated through reflection via Canvas posts for a project.
- 25 points earned for each complete journal post, total 12:
- 5 if posted by Canvas due date
- 5 for meaningful post title AND category
- 5 for well-edited reflection: writing, video short, slide-deck
- 5 for visual materials as described in each Module
- 5 for citations: either MLA format or descriptive inline link
- Correcting an on-time good-faith effort: read grade-book comments for recommendations to revise + resubmit for 1-time re-evaluation
- Complete late posts are permitted but will earn 5 fewer points for each week after the due date (20 if 1 week late, 15 if 2, etc.), earning 0 beyond 4 weeks. Due dates after Week 12 accepted late only before Exam Week presentations.
Total points: 300
Presentation is a summative assessment that allows you to reflect on your acquired conceptual and technical skills as applied to your personal process. It is developed in Canvas posts and real-time group critique.
- 75 points earned for each complete on-time presentation, total 4:
- 45 for Canvas post in the same manner as Participation posts
- 30 for participation in critique session:
- 10 for effective communication and pacing
- 10 for contributing to commentary (minimum 1 per session)
- 10 for on-time full attendance during session
- Partially complete on-time presentations are permitted and prorated in accordance with the above. Time and logistics prohibit rescheduled critique sessions for late submission.
Total points: 300
Professionalism is a mixture of formative (at term start) and summative (at term end) assessments. They are designed to measure your proficiency with aspects of the "hidden curriculum" and focus on transferable skills.
- 50 points earned for each complete on-time module, total 6 modules:
- 3 modules at term start:
- Startup Survey including syllabus confirmation
- Time Management
- Webspace UX
- Correcting an on-time good-faith effort: read grade-book comments to revise + resubmit for 1-time re-evaluation
- Complete late posts are permitted and earn 10 fewer points for each week after the due date.
- 3 modules at term end:
- Webspace UI
- Digital Archive
- Self-Evaluation including Academic Etiquette Survey and narrative blog post
- Exam Week evaluation prohibits revision or late submission
Total points: 300
- 3 modules at term start:
The Margin of Error
A total of 1200 points are possible to earn. But you will be evaluated on the basis of 1000. What’s up with the extra 200 points? They’re not “extra credit” or “bonus” points. They are a margin of error.
This margin of error may be used any way you wish, helping to set priorities and make choices. Let’s explore how this works:
- Attendance | Say you just have a streak of forgetfulness or plain bad luck and you rack up a few absences. Maybe you are 30 minutes late because the bus was late. Flat tire? Life happens. When it does, you won’t need excuses. None are needed. The margin of error compensates for the loss of opportunity to earn attendance credit in such circumstances.
- Late posts | Your posts need to meet the due date to earn full points. If you miss a due date by a day or two, there’s no need for an extension or appeal. The margin of error compensates.
- Catch-up vs. Keep-up | If a post is over a week late, it’s tempting to play catch-up. Now it’s a slippery slope: while you play catch-up on one item, you miss the deadline for the next one, and now it’s a pig-pile. The resulting anxiety stifles creativity and learning! The margin of error instead allows you to play keep-up: just don’t post that missing module! Sacrificing that opportunity protects future opportunities for you to earn on-time credit.
- Completion is better than perfection | Delay happens when you fall into the black hole of perfectionism. Instead, try completionism: know that the process is being evaluated, not the product. Any perceived loss of opportunity to earn points due to quality in Presentation is absorbed by the margin of error. (And for those who insist on tweaking and refining, remember: it’s your work and you can always tweak to your heart’s content after the semester is over!)
- Something is better than nothing | What if you have no finished product to present for a stage in the project? It’s not all or nothing! Because there are many stages at which the process is assessed, you earn credit for whatever portion you do. The margin of error incentivizes moving forward, rather than getting bogged down.
- Freedom of choice | If you work hard and do well throughout the term, the margin of error rewards you with flexibility at the end. Say you are sitting on 930 points, the equivalent of an A, after your final presentation. But you’ve let your Digital Archive slip and you have another exam stressing you out. Don’t turn in the Archive and Self-Assessment!
There are some not so good ways to use the margin of error. A couple of strategies to avoid:
- Don’t anticipate, adapt! | Don’t play the margin of error card too early. Instead, as the semester evolves, you will see how you can use these strategies to meet an academic goal based on your situation. So don’t say, “I’m gonna do awesome on all the Project stages and just skip the Professionalism part.” This could blow up in your face if you suddenly don’t have time to complete a project. Work hard whenever you can! The points accrued are money in the bank in case the unanticipated happens.
- Don’t focus on the points | It’s tempting to “gamify” this system and focus only on accumulating points. This isn’t Mario Kart! You’re not competing against your colleagues. The points are there to 1) tell you how you are doing and 2) tell you how you can improve your learning. No assignment is worth greater than 50 points, but there are a lot of them, so if you don’t do well on one set of Exercises, use that information to focus on the next set. Everyone who completes what is asked of them, in the spirit in which it is asked, learns a lot and therefore does well. Remember, we learn by doing, so: if you pay attention to the doing, the points take care of themselves.
Final Evaluation Scale
PSU requires a letter-grade for final assessment, and your accumulated points at the end of term will factor to a letter grade as follows:
TOTAL POINTS |
% EQUIV. |
LETTER GRADE |
GPA EQUIV |
930-1000 | 93% or > | A | 4.00 |
900-929 | 90% or > | A – | 3.67 |
870-899 | 87% or > | B + | 3.33 |
830-869 | 83% or > | B | 3.00 |
800-829 | 80% or > | B – | 2.67 |
750-799 | 75% or > | C + | 2.33 |
700-749 | 70% or > | C | 2.00 |
600-699 | 60% or > | D | 1.00 |
0-599 | < 60% | F | 0.00 |
Rubric
A rubric is a scoring guide I use for assessment of your achievement. Use this guide to understand what is expected and what is assessed.
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How do I Submit Work in Canvas?
Your Process Journal is a blog. This posting platform is an accountability tool where you demonstrate meeting our learning objectives. All parts of a Project process, from Participation through Presentation, are journaled through this. Individual post URLs (the “address” of a blog post) are submitted weekly through Canvas module titles.
YES:
Do copy and submit the URL for your post. This has a date stamp (20XX/YY/ZZ is year/month/day) and the title of the post with dashes, and looks a bit like this:
AVOID THESE ROOKIE MISTAKES! First-time posters will sometimes submit the wrong URL. You aren’t penalized for this mistake if you respond to my prompt to correct and resubmit, but it’s an unnecessary hassle for you and creates delay in getting timely feedback. NO: Don’t copy and submit the general URL for your site. It looks like the URL above, but without the time stamp and post title:
Don’t copy and submit a URL from your WordPress Dashboard. This has “wp-admin” and “action=edit” in the address and looks a bit like this:
|
These weekly posts are assessed to give you feedback on the success and clarity with which you are demonstrating the meeting of our objectives. Journaling is not busy work: studies clearly show reflective writing about your process to be an empowering way to achieve self-improvement and secure skill-sets. Working in a content management system like WordPress is a transferable skill sought by employers. And blogging is a proven means toward taking control of your online identity!
Post Quality | A portion of the Website UI points you earn under Professionalism is based on ongoing assessment of how well your content is generally supported by your UI choices for design: use of theme, blog title, and theme-dependent features such as background images, tag lines, widgets, or footers. These can be refined over time to optimize that evaluation. At the same time, individual posts will be qualitatively assessed for the following:
- Titles and Categories: A logical post title, using a project name or exercise name to associate the content with a Canvas module or wiki page title. Assigning a Category or categories to a post will allow your audience to easily navigate and find related posts, as well as aid in the creation of menus using your blog theme. Categories can organize posts by project, by type (exercise, concept, etc.) or other groupings useful when your posts begin to multiply. Categories are eventually required to organize your work for final presentation. A recommended practice is to copy and paste the recommendations from Canvas and use these as titles and categories for your post.
- Visual Content: Where appropriate, use embedded visual content (for example, an image, a video, an iframe, a screenshot). Links to visual content are a poor User Experience (UX), and links to archived materials are worse; while you won’t earn credit for posting this way, you will get a chance to correct it and resubmit. The newMediaWiki covers recommended use of external content hosting sites such as YouTube or Flickr.
- Reflection: A brief reflection in response to readings, exercises, or project development will help your audience understand why this content is interesting, as well as help you retain knowledge. The reflection is a one-to-two minute communication tool and can include any of the following:
-
- Reflective writing, which your audience reads at about 100 words per minute, so about 200 words for a two-minute read
- A imperfect video short of the specified duration
- A podcast of the specified duration
- An embeddable slide-deck (like Google Slides) that assumes about 10-20 seconds of engagement per slide, so about 6-8 slides per deck.
- Appropriate visual material embedded along with text or other assets (for example, an image, a video, an iframe, a screenshot). Links to visual content are a poor User Experience (UX), and links to archived materials are worse. You won’t earn credit for posting this way, BUT you will get a chance to correct it and resubmit.
- Citation: Creating links to wiki project titles or useful material you find on the web is an important part of the post. Any references to materials outside of your own work requires citation in MLA format bibliography and/or an explicit external link. These citations should be grouped at the end of each post.
Post Quantity | The blog serves as a journalistic assessment tool for your engagement in work sessions and time on task. Working sessions outlined in your time block are critical to the success of our learning-by-doing model. This studio may be perhaps one of the few times you might be involved in a “flipped” academic course, which is a way of saying that you work on tutorials, readings and videos outside of class in preparation for active working sessions (discussion, application, and synthesis in artworks) during class time. The blog becomes a journalistic record of this, and is a much better indicator of professional engagement than relying solely on attendance-taking.
Canvas module titles require 12 total posts for Participation and 4 total posts for Presentation to your blog for the term. After the Add-Drop period, this is 1 to 2 posts per week.
Posting takes time to do well, so plan accordingly!
Due Dates
Each part of a Project described above correlates to a Module in Canvas. Each Module has a due date paced by the Recommended Daily Calendar. Select the tab ART 102 at the bottom of the sheet to find your calendar.
Canvas Module due dates are best understood as a time management tool to let you gauge whether you are making adequate progress toward a Presentation deadline. Therefore, Participation module submissions may be posted past their ideal due date, but on-time submission earns credit in the point system. Modules will always remain open after their due dates.
Postings occur by Sunday just prior to midnight. This does NOT mean you should wait to post if you’ve completed an assignment early. Instead, you should post as you make progress.
If you are not on-time with a Module when I assess it on the first pass, two things happen:
- The post loses 5 points in value for each week it is LATE, with a value of 0 by 4 weeks late.
- You will see a provisional 0 for the Module and a reminder comment to follow up with a late submission.
After you submit a late post or resubmit a revised on-time post, the Canvas grade-book indicates this action to me, and I can assess it in the next round of weekly grading, which is completed before the second studio session of the week. In fact, to keep the on-time playing field level: if I grade the post past that time, you get a 5 point bonus!
If the post remains missing by week 4 after the due date, the provisional 0 stands as a permanent evaluation, although in this instance you may apply for an Appeal (see below).
Appeal Process
All submissions for all Modules associated with a Project should be posted by the due date indicated in the Recommended Daily Calendar. Once a 4 week period has elapsed after the due date, no further submission for that Module will be evaluated, unless you file an Appeal.
An Appeal can grant an exception at my discretion when a you (or an authorized agent like a family member) has communicated with me via email concerning any of the following:
- A major emergency (for example, a hospitalization, illness or life event in your immediate family).
- A University sanctioned academic activity (for example, a departure date conflict for an embedded study abroad course, or travel for College athletics).
- A religious holiday conflict.
- A technical issue with a machine or software you depend on.
Any emailed Appeal that includes a specific proposal for an alternate due date for the affected Modules will be considered in good faith. Due to time and logistics, real-time Presentations may not be appealed, but can be absorbed by the margin of error.
Note this special case: late submission for Project Presentations during Exam Week are accepted at my sole discretion, based on deadlines the University applies to faculty for the grading process. Such a request may involve the assignment of a Deferred Grade.
Deferred Grade Process
A deferred grade allows you time to complete work that could not be finished during the regular term schedule due to exceptional circumstances beyond your control, but it is not without risk.
Please refer to Penn State’s deferred grade policy before you propose an alternative that could involve a deferred grade.