Our Grading Contract

ENGW3308 9:50am

This course will use a contract grading system. ! That means you will receive a single semester grade for the course instead of grades on individual unit papers or other pieces of writing. Instead, I will give formative comments on each draft. You will be guaranteed a certain minimum grade, a B, for fulfilling the minimum terms of the contract. You can earn a grade in the B or A range by exceeding the terms of the contract in both the amount and quality of your work as specified in the class-negotiated section of the contract. Our contract is made up of 2 parts: the negotiation of some parts of the contract itself AND the basic terms set out in the next few paragraphs. We will review the terms of the contract as a class at the beginning of the course. Some contract requirements are open to student-negotiated modifications at two times during the semester: during our first contract discussion (first week of class) and during a contract re-negotiation period after beginning Unit 2. We will also negotiate the contract requirements for A-level and B-level work in a series of discussions beginning in the first week of class and ending (probably) after the Unit 2 draft is submitted. As a class, we will examine the NU Writing Programs Learning Goals, grading guidelines, and quality standards in your disciplines to determine what constitutes A-level and B-level writing in this course. The minimum requirements for a B fall into three categories as follows: Attendance/participation/good citizenship Attend class regularly, arrive to class on time, and miss 2 classes or fewer over the semester. (See the Writing Programs Attendance Policy below.) Participate in in-class exercises and activities, including discussions and contract negotiations. Work Generally submit work on time. Due dates will often be negotiated with the class to address student concerns about time. Students who contact me at least 48 hours ahead of a deadline may, at my discretion, have an extension. Three pieces of work may be up to 48 hours late with no notice. Generally submit all required work for the course, including 4 unit papers with the following allowances: Up to 3 informal (in-class) writing assignments or peer reviews may be missing. Meet the requirements of genre and length (within 10%) set out in each unit assignment. Engage fully in the revision process by making substantive revisions (rather than minor edits) to drafts. Submit final drafts which show that you have worked to reduce or eliminate error and that you have attempted to meet the standards of your discipline. Submit a final digital reflective portfolio. Peer review/community involvement Engage fully in the peer review process by writing thoughtful, helpful peer reviews that follow the Peer Review Guidelines and discipline-appropriate expectations of peer review practices. Have your work reviewed in one Whole Class Review session. Contribute to Whole Class Review discussions. So, the grade of B is based on primarily your effort. If you meet the minimum requirements, you get a B. To earn a grade in the upper B or A range, your work will need to exceed the minimum requirements in quality and amount. Your contributions to class discussions and the peer review process will need to be consistently constructive and help your peers in their writing process. The exact definitions of B- and A-quality work will be decided by the class; we might consider things like grammar/mechanics, ease of reading, clarity, adherence to social science standards, appropriate design decisions, willingness to take risks or try something new, how much the student owns the assignment, or even some measure of improvement.

A quick grid for the basics (the starting point for our negotiations): Grade range: A range B range B Absences 2 or fewer 2 or fewer 3 or fewer Late Work 1 2 3 Missing Work None 1 in-class/ short piece, but 0 major papers Up to 2 in-class/ short pieces, but 0 major papers More than 2 short pieces; a major paper might be very late/delayed 4 or more Participation in Whole Class Review Consistently constructive, helpful Usually constructive, on-topic Occasional constructive comments Comments are done but not very useful

C range

3 or fewer

More than 3

D or F

More than 3 (unexcused)

More than 4

Not participating, not helpful, or not on-topic

Why grade this way? I have several goals in choosing this grading method. I want to: Shift student focus away from grades and onto writing practice and process. Allow for situations in which students have varying types of preparation for the Advanced Writing course, and so may struggle with meeting quality goals, but still complete the work of the class and fully participate in good faith. Foster a community of writers who will work together toward building and reaching quality expectations that reflect the discipline of the course and the values of the class. Student Generated Statement on Quality: To receive a B or B+ for this course, a students work should show the following characteristics: Grammar errors do not distract from the message of the paper. Tone and style are consistently appropriate to audience (but need not be perfect). Papers show a current and relevant understanding of the students chosen topic. Source use is technically correct (even if it has minor punctuation or formatting errors). It may still be easy to spot places where the student did not fully develop the paper or where things are missing. Materials are submitted on time and in the correct format for a given assignment. Structure may still have some problems; some ideas may not be in their best position. Peer reviews not fully developed may have only one or two suggestions or may not identify the most important problems in the peers draft. Final draft shows general improvement from first draft. To receive an A- or A for this course, a students work should show all of the above characteristics, plus: Must show up for the mid-semester check in with instructor Careful communication with instructor about anything that might be missed or late (meetings, papers, classes). Papers consistently approach the target genre. Demonstrates full engagement in peer review by actually using peer and instructor feedback in D1 to D2 revision. Improvement in final draft is visible. Peer reviews are thoughtful and useful. Source use is correct, appropriate to genre, and adds value to the paper. Structure of papers is good (students said sensible logical intuitive in other words, the reader is not puzzled by the organization; it seems logical and natural).