Application of Specifications Grading to an Analytical Chemistry Lab

Abstract

Specifications Grading was implemented in a multisection upper-level analytical chemistry laboratory, the first reported for a full lab course redesign in the discipline or in an upper-level chemistry lab class. The primary goals of the redesign were (1) to assess student proficiency of three separate goals: techniques, data quality, and written communication, with three separate assignments, (2) to encourage growth across the semester, providing students the opportunity to show their improvement, and (3) to implement a clear grading system that emphasized equity across the multisection course. Mark distributions on assignments show an increase in students earning exemplary marks on first attempts as the semester progressed, indicating improvement not only within assignments but also across assignments. Student feedback surveys indicate high satisfaction with the grading scheme, with over 72% of survey respondents indicating they would like the grading scheme applied to other courses. Additionally, survey results demonstrate success in achieving the three goals, with students able to articulate the benefits associated with the priorities of the course structure. A particular focus was on the actionability and timeliness of instructor feedback, a hallmark of specifications grading, which students also highly rated. Teaching Assistant feedback indicated that, despite more time spent on grading, teaching satisfaction was higher compared to other courses. The use of regular student feedback to improve the course design is also discussed.