Yes -- well, sort of -- it depends on the situation, you see -- sometimes they can be replaced by parentheses -- but in others they're more like a colon -- or a semicolon -- or just a comma.
Hi, I wasn't sure where to ask this question so I'll ask it here. I teach an undergrad linguistic analysis course, and this summer I implemented a new assessment system that I adapted from the Modern Algebra description here (https://rtalbert.org/building-modern-algebra-the-grading-system/).
I'm hoping to collect some feedback from my students after the semester ends in a couple weeks, especially since I think this is the first time many of them have experienced this type of assessment system. I'm also the first person in my department to try something like this, but a number of others are interested in the results. I have some questions developed already, but I was wondering if you had any recommendations on what feedback is most helpful?
David's suggestion is good. I'd add that if at all possible, TALK to your students in addition to having them fill out surveys. A face-to-face interaction, either 1:1 or as part of a small group, often yields much richer information than text responses on a survey. (I suppose you know this already, as a linguist 🤣) May be problematic if the semester is over, but still, I prefer both verbal AND text feedback when doing this sort of thing.
Also, kind of what David said, keep all items simple and open-ended to avoid having leading questions. You might consider verbs that invite students to share, like "Tell me about your experiences with the grading system used in this class".
Hi Hannah! Here is the question I've used for many semesters: "Please give your feedback on the grading system used in this class. How did it affect the way you learned or worked, compared to other classes?" There are lots of other things you could ask, but this is both fairly neutral, and encourages students to focus on the things that I think are most useful.
I'll bite: so you've got some strong thoughts on em-dashes?
Yes -- well, sort of -- it depends on the situation, you see -- sometimes they can be replaced by parentheses -- but in others they're more like a colon -- or a semicolon -- or just a comma.
David is mocking my writing style here, in case you didn't know
Robert, you definitely shouldn't read anything I've written before this book -- it will terrify you.
Certainly parenthesis—I very often see mathematicians over-using parenthesis, so thank you for your consideration of the em-dash :)
Hi, I wasn't sure where to ask this question so I'll ask it here. I teach an undergrad linguistic analysis course, and this summer I implemented a new assessment system that I adapted from the Modern Algebra description here (https://rtalbert.org/building-modern-algebra-the-grading-system/).
I'm hoping to collect some feedback from my students after the semester ends in a couple weeks, especially since I think this is the first time many of them have experienced this type of assessment system. I'm also the first person in my department to try something like this, but a number of others are interested in the results. I have some questions developed already, but I was wondering if you had any recommendations on what feedback is most helpful?
Thanks,
Hannah
David's suggestion is good. I'd add that if at all possible, TALK to your students in addition to having them fill out surveys. A face-to-face interaction, either 1:1 or as part of a small group, often yields much richer information than text responses on a survey. (I suppose you know this already, as a linguist 🤣) May be problematic if the semester is over, but still, I prefer both verbal AND text feedback when doing this sort of thing.
Also, kind of what David said, keep all items simple and open-ended to avoid having leading questions. You might consider verbs that invite students to share, like "Tell me about your experiences with the grading system used in this class".
Hi Hannah! Here is the question I've used for many semesters: "Please give your feedback on the grading system used in this class. How did it affect the way you learned or worked, compared to other classes?" There are lots of other things you could ask, but this is both fairly neutral, and encourages students to focus on the things that I think are most useful.
Thank you both for your suggestions, this is very helpful!