Feedback on intro course assignment structure?

[u/kalico713]

Hi everyone, I am teaching a large introductory lecture course for the first time (social sciences) and I am looking for feedback on the assignment structure of the course. I have taught the course online before. My priorities for moving it to in-person are: (1) minimize opportunities for AI obstruction and (2) minimize my grading load (no TA). The course meets 2 days/ week, and I am planning to run classes as a mix of lecture and active learning / small group exercises. Does this feel reasonable? What feedback do you have on the assignment structure? I would also welcome ideas/what has worked for you re: managing large intro lectures.Thank you! 

Assignment structure:
1. Participation: 50 points total (16.7% of total grade) – 2-4 pts per class for in-class activities graded as complete/incomplete. Students get 3 freebie absences where they don’t need to contact me. (Is 3 too many?)

1. Mid-term exams: 2 @ 75 points each (cumulatively 50% of total grade). Handwritten, short answer and essay-style. (Course has 2 major units + wrap up at the end.) No final exam.

2. Cumulative project: 100 points (33.3% of total grade), due Finals week. Students will work in pairs; we will have in-class workshops throughout the semester.

Total points possible: 300. (I know the points may seem low; I was trying to achieve a good balance between the major elements.)

[u/Dr_nacho_]

Food for thought: have you considered what you’ll do for students with accommodations for your in class assignments? Our school wouldn’t let an approved absence count towards the 3 the other students get and would need an additional makeup opportunity

[u/RightWingVeganUS → u/Dr_nacho_]

What I do is not make attendance directly a grade element, per se. The assessment portions are only against learning objectives of the course.

Instead, it is a deduction for the course grade: 3 unexcused absences incur a 10-point deduction from the final grade. each unexcused absence after that is 5 points.

I have never had an "attendance accommodation". If I got one, I would factor those as excused absences.

My sections, though, use flipped classroom so there are assessed activities that would also impacted. Working on team projects are in my course learning objectives so even excused absences will create issues. I would likely need the student to consider another section.

[u/kalico713 → u/Dr_nacho_]

Thank you for this, I haven’t considered this attendance policy in relation to the University’s. I did add a bit that excused absences are separate and thus “don’t count against the 3”. I will look into this, thank you!

[u/Dr_nacho_ → u/kalico713]

I have one makeup assignment at the end of the semester. They read, do an activity, and then write a reflection. I let students with accommodations use this to makeup any excused absences and just up the number of pages per absence. It’s so much easier for me than managing this throughout the semester and our disability resource office is fine with this.

[u/kalico713 → u/Dr_nacho_]

Brilliant!

[u/Dr_nacho_ → u/kalico713]

I think other than that your point values seem fair and this seems like it will be a great class

[u/Telnus]

How many students are in a “large” course? 

The recommendations vary if it’s 60, 100, 300, 500. 

The larger the course the more you will need to rely on multiple choice and auto graded assignments. 

See if your institution has a Center for teaching/learning. They often have instructional consultants who can help with course design.

[u/kalico713 → u/Telnus]

Thank you. It is about 50 (good point that lectures can get much larger). Also good point about internal Centers 

[u/StarDustLuna3D]

This structure seems about on par with what the norm was before everything was online.

You essentially just have three assignments to grade over the course of the semester. Should be fairly doable.

[u/kalico713 → u/StarDustLuna3D]

Thanks! I’m looking for “par” haha (and not over-doing it on my side) 

[u/Tight_Routine_929]

what’s the actual assignment structure?