How many times have you overheard discussions about which teachers are tough markers and which classes are a breeze? When you’re the one taking the tests, it may seem like common sense to seek out easy grades, but shouldn’t grades be consistent from class-to-class or teacher-to-teacher?

As standardized testing and curriculum reform are debated at the elementary  and secondary school levels, teaching and learning specialists are beginning to push for more accountability in assessment in higher education. While we all have individual teaching styles, we should be able to agree on standards and best practices when it comes to grading, even if it is a subjective process. The type of accountability this brings to the assessment process is best described as inter-rater reliability.

What Is Inter-Rater Reliability?

The term inter-rater reliability is used in research methods to refer to consistency in the types of responses received to a particular judgement. When we use it to talk about grading, however, inter-rater reliability means coming to an agreement about the quality of student work and the grades we assess. By coming to this agreement, we ensure that students are treated fairly and are subject to the same expectations regardless of their section or instructor. This also means determining clearly for yourself what A+ work looks like.

How Can We Practice Consistency?

Consistency in grading starts with developing standards for the quality of work expected, necessitates establishing practices, follows from sharing those expectations and practices with students, and ends with committing to these initiatives during the assessment process. Here are some ways you can ensure consistency in your marking:

• Use a rubric. Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked a lot about using rubrics in your grading. Why? Because developing a rubric for an assignment and providing it to students both before and after assessment provides an outline for what a “good” assignment should look like. From the instructor’s perspective, a rubric can also serve as a measuring stick when determining where student work rates according to the guidelines.
• Communicate with your supervisor. As GAs and TAs, the grades we assess are often according to standards communicated to us by our supervisors. Before you start marking, make sure you have a clear idea what your supervisor is looking for. Especially when you don’t have a rubric to guide you, clarify these expectations by considering the questions posed by Boston University’s Centre for Excellence & Innovation in Teaching:
  • What components are you looking for in the answers to this assignment?
  • What is the relative weight of these components? Are they equally important?
  • What is excellent performance on this assignment? What is average performance?
• Grade assignments in groups. When I was responsible for marking assignments in a section of a large first-year course, I often received comments from students about how other sections leaders graded differently. To make sure you’re on the same page as your colleagues, spend some time marking assignments together.
• Make your expectations clear and stick to them. Consistency in grading also means treating students equally. Have a late policy and stick to it. Develop a rubric and stick to it. In general, whatever standards you develop should be maintained in each student interaction.
• Grade sections/parts/questions individually. Especially when marking exams or midterms, grading each student on the same item at the same time can help to ensure fair assessment.

We Can Help

If you’re looking for help developing your own marking schemes or just some advice on grading in general, the GATA Network can help. Contact us at gata@uwindsor.ca and ask for a consultation with our team.