Publication: challenges in grading and feedback
MANSW Journal article on teaching mathematical proof
Context
Context
This evidence is an assessment task completed for the Mathematical Teaching Methods 4 course at UTS. It is an academic paper considering challenges faced by teachers of mathematical proof, specifically difficulties in grading student work and providing meaningful, actionable feedback to them.
This evidence is an assessment task completed for the Mathematical Teaching Methods 4 course at UTS. It is an academic paper considering challenges faced by teachers of mathematical proof, specifically difficulties in grading student work and providing meaningful, actionable feedback to them.
The paper was published in Reflections, the journal of the Mathematical Association of New South Wales (MANSW), Vol. 46, Issue 1, 2021.
The paper was published in Reflections, the journal of the Mathematical Association of New South Wales (MANSW), Vol. 46, Issue 1, 2021.
Graduate standard descriptors addressed
Graduate standard descriptors addressed
5. Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning
5. Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning
5.2.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.
5.2.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.
5.3.1 Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
5.3.1 Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
Learning aims
Learning aims
The focus in this paper is on what teachers can do to facilitate learning, which is often done in most areas of mathematics but has been elusive in the topic of proof: consistent and readily understood marking, meaningful feedback, and opportunity to apply that feedback.
The focus in this paper is on what teachers can do to facilitate learning, which is often done in most areas of mathematics but has been elusive in the topic of proof: consistent and readily understood marking, meaningful feedback, and opportunity to apply that feedback.
Assessment of outcomes
Assessment of outcomes
Accomplishing objectives
Accomplishing objectives
5.2.1 - This paper highlights areas of deficiency or difficulty in providing appropriate feedback, and it proposes a framework and approach for addressing that difficulty in a way the teacher can tailor to a particular situation.
5.2.1 - This paper highlights areas of deficiency or difficulty in providing appropriate feedback, and it proposes a framework and approach for addressing that difficulty in a way the teacher can tailor to a particular situation.
5.3.1 - The paper explicitly addresses the need for moderation in marking proofs, citing articles where researchers identified variation between teachers in assessing the seriousness of a given error. Furthermore, it noted that teachers acknowledged their assessments sometimes involved personal knowledge of the student to gauge the cause of the error.
5.3.1 - The paper explicitly addresses the need for moderation in marking proofs, citing articles where researchers identified variation between teachers in assessing the seriousness of a given error. Furthermore, it noted that teachers acknowledged their assessments sometimes involved personal knowledge of the student to gauge the cause of the error.
Learning impacts
Learning impacts
Opportunity for me to apply the concepts in this paper will come. It will be best rolled out at the start of the topic, with students given access to it, and taught as a specific lesson - with examples and dress rehearsal in self-grading a sample and grading a proof by one another.
Opportunity for me to apply the concepts in this paper will come. It will be best rolled out at the start of the topic, with students given access to it, and taught as a specific lesson - with examples and dress rehearsal in self-grading a sample and grading a proof by one another.