Title
Perceptions of Psychology’s Grading Policy and its Impact on Teaching and Learning
Abstract
Grading student work is required at most universities. How to grade is largely left up to individual instructors and departments. In 2001, a standardized grading policy was implemented in our psychology department to promote fairness for students taking courses with different instructors, and to prevent grade inflation. The current research was conducted in 2023 to illuminate how course instructors, TAs, and students perceive this policy and its impact on their teaching and learning practices. Reflexive Thematic Analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus groups led to six themes of meaning, ranging from policy mechanics and difficult decision-making, through issues of power, ethical concerns, and classroom relationships. Results laid a foundation for a Working Group to reconsider and reshape our departmental grading policy, which was adopted in time to pilot for fall 2024. Overall, this work has informed a Comprehensive Model of Grading Policy Development, designed to help units think through key issues. Through this talk, I will tell the story of this ongoing research as it intersects with relevant literature, and with my own scholarly development and personal growth.
Bio
Dr. Catherine Rawn (she/her/hers) is a Professor of Teaching and the Associate Head, Undergraduate Affairs in the Department of Psychology at UBC. She specializes in teaching and educational leadership, and serves as Chair of Curriculum Committees at both the Faculty of Arts and Psychology Department levels. Dr. Rawn’s research interests include educational leadership, scholarship of teaching and learning, collaborative learning methods, technology-enhanced teaching and learning, student evaluations of teaching, program evaluation, and social psychology broadly.
