Blurb:

Robert T. Koch, Jr., in “Conference-based Writing Assessment and Grading,” provides a detailed framework for an approach to assessment and grading that uses conferencing and marking sheets (rubrics) with first-year composition and basic writing students in the final week of a multi-week essay assignment. A student paper is compared to a clear set of grading criteria both by the instructor and the student in advance of a conference in which a grade is assigned on the basis of discussion. Students are expected to bring a copy of their essay, a reflective letter, and a one-page written grade justification to the conference. Koch argues that although the grade that is assigned is final for the paper, it is developmental for the student, based on the discussion in the conference of how the grading criteria were applied to the student’s work. Through this activity, which is repeated through the semester, students deepen their understanding of the characteristics of good academic writing and their awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses as writers. Comments from Koch’s students indicate that most appreciate their involvement in the grading process and the insights which it provides for reflection, revision, and further improvement.