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Home » Resources » Scholarship on Teaching » Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment
Scholarship July 3, 2025

Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment

The Wabash Center

Author
Walvoord, Barbara E. and Virginia Johnson Anderson
Publisher
Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA
ISBN
0787940305
Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
The Authors

ch. 1 The Power of Grading for Learning and Assessment
ch. 2 Managing the Grading Process
ch. 3 Making Assignments Worth Grading
ch. 4 Fostering Motivation and Learning in the Grading Process
ch. 5 Establishing Criteria and Standards for Grading
ch. 6 Calculating Course Grades
ch. 7 Communicating with Students About Their Grades
ch. 8 Making Grading More Time-Efficient
ch. 9 Using the Grading Process to Improve Teaching
ch. 10 Determining Faculty Performance, Rewards, and Incentives
ch. 11 Strengthening Departmental and Institutional Assessment
ch. 12 A Case Study of Grading as a Tool for Assessment

App. A AAHE's Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning
App. B Types of Assignments and Tests
App. C Examples of Primary Trait-Based Scales Developed by Faculty

References
Index
The grading process can yield rich information about student learning. Effective Grading enables faculty to go beyond using grades as isolated artifacts and helps them make classroom grading processes more fair, time-efficient, and conducive to learning. Classroom assessment of student learning can then contribute to departmental and general-education assessment in ways that meet the needs of institutions and accrediting agencies. Tailored to specific needs of faculty members who seek to make grading a valuable part of student learning and motivation, Effective Grading balances assessment theory and hands-on advice. It offers an in-depth examination of the link between teaching and grading and provides concrete guidance on such critical steps as setting and communicating grading standards, developing assignments to grade, managing time spent on grading, and providing feedback for students. (From the Publisher)