How the Separate Grade for the Good Habits for Evidence Results in a Higher Grade

What’s covered on this webpage:

Reminder: What Is the History Department Required to Do with Writing Assignments?  1

Reminder: Minimum of 25% of your Course Grade from Writing Assignments  1

How the Separate Grade for the Good Habits for Evidence Results in a Higher Grade  1

An Example of How the Separate Grade for the 5 Good Habits for Evidence Can Let You Earn a Higher Grade) While Practicing Habits Essential for Your Future  1

A Tip for Why You Want to Follow All of the 5 Good Habits for Evidence Beginning with the 1st Assignment 2

 

Reminder: What Is the History Department Required to Do with Writing Assignments?

The History Department has responsibilities for students at WCJC. Click here for an explanation of the 3 Student Learner Outcomes, including the terms primary and secondary.
(URL:
http://www.cjbibus.com/GS_HistDept_Student_Learner_Outcomes.htm)

Reminder: Minimum of 25% of your Course Grade from Writing Assignments

In history classes, your writing grades are essential:

·         To your overall grade

·         To your passing the course

 

The History Department requires a minimum of 25% of your grade from your writing assignments. This course has that amount. Caution: To repeat the syllabus, given those percentages, doing written work is essential to pass. Please ask if you do not know why or click on this explanation.
(URL:
http://www.cjbibus.com/GS_HistDept_25_Percent_Min_So_You_MUST_Write.htm)

Reminder: What Is a Rubric? What Is a Rubric in This Course?

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines a rubric as “a guide listing specific criteria for grading or scoring academic papers, projects, or tests.”

 

In this course, rubrics:

·      Used before you work, let you know what the instructor considers important

·      Used after you work, let you know where the instructor thinks you are “getting it” and what you can do to become stronger

·      Let your instructor mark consistently but quickly

 

This course uses different rubrics when grading:

·      Your paper—and with this one I also mark your paper according to the rubric

·      Your response to my feedback so that I can tell that you understood what I had identified

·      Your peer review of another student’s paper

·         Your response to the peer review of your own paper by another student

How the Separate Grade for the Good Habits for Evidence Results in a Higher Grade

In this course, your assignments are meant to meet the student learner outcomes and the requirement of 25% writing for your grade. This course also tries to help all students to earn a good grade even though they may not have experience with:

·         United States history

·         Reading and writing with evidence about real things (History is frequently the first time many students have to write about real things with evidence, not just opinion.)

 

To make it possible for all students to earn a good grade even if they are inexperienced in United States history and with reading and writing with evidence about real things, this course divides the grade for a writing assignment in 2 parts:

·         50% for the content on the current writing—important to know but this set of facts is not necessarily essential to your future

·         50% for whether you worked ethically and accurately as measured by 5 very basic habits–habits also essential to your future in the workplace of today

 

An Example of How the Separate Grade for the 5 Good Habits for Evidence Can Let You Earn a Higher Grade) While Practicing Habits Essential for Your Future

The Evidence Quizzes in the course show you how the Good Habits for Evidence rubric works and can help you practice necessary skills for the workplace (or an upper level course). This section just provides an example of the way it lets you earn a higher letter grade.

 

If you follow the 5 Good Habits for Evidence, you can make a decent grade even if you are not skilled or comfortable with writing. Here’s how the separate grade for Good Habits for Evidence helps you.  In the example, you:

·         Are doing a 40-point written assignment (and in this course that means 20 for content and 20 for the 5 Good Habits for Evidence)

·         Did read carefully and wrote accurately

·         But did not cover all of the issues nor give examples from the required sources so the rubric shows that your written content is worth only 70%, a low C

 

On the other hand, you worked accurately and carefully followed all 5 Good Habits for Evidence. Alternatively, if you didn’t follow the 5 Good Habits for Evidence successfully this time, the instructions on the rubric tell you an alternative way to earn the points.

 

If there was not a separate grade for the 5 Good Habits for Evidence, you would make:

28 For the content - 40 points X .7 = 28a C for this written assignment

 

Because there is a separate grade and you followed all 5 Good Habits for Evidence, you make:

14 For the content – 20 points X .7 = 14

20 For following all of the 5 Good Habits for Evidence or, if not yet, for following the instructions on the rubric

34 – and 34 is a B for this written assignment

 

How is a 34 a B? 34 divided by 40 = .85 or 85%, a B for this written assignment

 

A Tip for Why You Want to Follow All of the 5 Good Habits for Evidence Beginning with the 1st Assignment

Tip: Practicing a habit seems to take several times before the habit is the new you. Try following these habits with the 1st assignment so you can use these habits any time you work with things that are real. The sooner you start, the more points you will earn and the stronger you will be.

 

 

 

Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2003-2017

 

WCJC Department:

History – Dr. Bibus

Contact Information:

281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu

Last Updated:

2017

WCJC Home:

http://www.wcjc.edu/