Playing to Individual Strengths - Student Choice in Assignment Value

Submitted by Michael Boring on
Duration
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What is the Purpose of the Assessment?

The purpose of this assessment is to give students a choice in how they complete their final assignment in a way that allows them plays into their individual strengths.

Describe the necessity for this assessment

In my PHI 101 course I noticed that some students do better on longer writing assignments that capitalize on their creativity, whereas others do better on assessments that test factual knowledge.

Describe how the practice will be implemented

Students are given a choice in the point value of their final assignment depending on how many concepts they choose to analyze.

Here are the instructions for the assignment:

This is your final assignment. It is not optional, but there are three options for how much your essay will count towards your final grade.

Option 1: 350-500 words; graded on 0 - 100 scale

Option 2: 500-750 words; graded on a 0 - 200 scale

Option 3: 750-1000 words: graded on a 0 - 300 scale

You must indicate which option you have chosen in your title.

I have set up three assignments in this module. You are only to complete ONE. Each assignment corresponds to one option. Do not submit to more than one assignment in this module. 

Prompt: The phenomenological approach offers a significantly different view of the self than that of the epistemic subject of thinkers like Descartes and Kant. Write an essay explaining: a) 2, 3 or 4 (depending on which option you choose) key phenomenological/existential concepts; and b) 1, 2 or 3 ways Latina Feminist phenomenology differs from European phenomenology; Which approach to understanding the self makes the most sense to you, the epistemic subject or the phenomenological self?

Interpret, compare, and describe the results

I compared the results of this assignment with those of a similar assignment, but without the element of choice.

I found that students were confused by the assignment that offered choice.  Many students submitted essays for all three choices and were confused as to how to decide how many concepts to discuss.

After analyzing, and reflecting on the outcome, what are the next steps?

After the confusion caused by the assignment implementing choice, I decided to discontinue the assignment and revert back to an essay that did not offer a choice in point value.

Completed Full Cycle
Yes
Course Number
PHI 101