Summary
Change is made more accessible with the thoughtful explanations and helpful examples provided by Dr. Linda B. Nilson in “Specifications Grading: Restoring Rigor, Motivating Students, and Saving Faculty Time.” After hearing her interview on the Teaching in HigherEd podcast about adopting applied grading strategies and course structures, I picked up this book. The book is a quick read, broken into 10 Chapters that deliver on the title's promise. In under 2 hours, I felt empowered to adopt specifications grading and believe in the claims it can, if appropriately applied, restore rigor while saving me time.
Book Details
Nilson, L.B. (2014). Specifications grading: Restoring rigor, motivating students, and saving faculty time. Stylus Publishing.
Price: $32.50 on Amazon
Pages: 131, sans References and Index
Impact by Chapter
The Need for a New Grading System
The 16-page introduction sets up the need for more applied grading by expanding on the timeline of grading systems in higher education with the impacts on faculty and students. The data tells a story of arbitrary evaluation systems that impact levels of stress for students (45% reported academic work as “traumatic”) and faculty. The chapter ends with 15 elements for rigor and value to grade our own grading systems.
Learning Outcomes and Course Design and Linking Grades to Outcomes
Pass/Fail Grading for Rigor, Motivation, and Faculty Peace of Mind
Essentials of Specifications Grading and Converting Specs-Graded Student Work into Final Letter Grades
Examples of Specs-Graded Course Designs
The Motivational Power of Specs Grading
Developing a Course with Specs Grading
An Evaluation of Specs Grading
Conclusion
The major to career pathway is a growing desire among the students I encounter as an advisor and success coach. They want to know and clearly understand how course materials, assignments, and structure might apply to their professional experience one day. For my courses in strategic communication, the specs grading stood out as the structure to assess students in ways that mirrored my experiences in the workplace. While some courses can be more readily converted, Dr. Nilson provides diverse examples to help most professors adopt the structure across disciplines and course levels.
Specifications Grading was a quick read with a high-value impact.
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