Julie Stewart
Examining our ideas about equity combined with traditional grading practices reflects a disconnect in serving our students effectively. In this session, we will discuss the ideas of extra credit, participation, and attendance as subjective grade items that open the door to potentially biased grading practices. Participants will then explore techniques such as rubrics, student feedback, retakes, and peer review that invite conversations and equity into the grading practices in the classroom. Empowering students to have a voice in the grading process allows us as instructors to create a community where feedback is given and received openly. This provides faculty the opportunity to assess where there may be gaps in content delivery or breadth. This provides students the opportunity to have transparency and freedom to engage with instructors and have agency in the grading process. Infusing opportunities for success and redemption for our students builds hope and motivation. Creating supportive relationships that serve as positive experiences for students help with success and completion rates for our diverse population. Grading is but one of the ways we can shift our thinking as educators to foster an environment of equity and collaboration for effective outcomes in our institutions and students.
Dr. Julie Stewart is a nationally recognized teaching excellence award winner, conference speaker, and internationally published researcher. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Metropolitan State College of Denver, Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership, and Doctor of Management in Leadership and Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Stewart is an Associate Professor of Business at the Community College of Aurora and adjunct business instructor at the Community College of Denver. She is an entrepreneur with research interests in interventional design, engagement, and collaboration. She presents on alternative assessment, reverse curriculum engineering, and diversity and equity.