Jelena Trajkovic: Grading Notes
Dr. Jelena Trajkovic is a professor of Computer Engineering and Computer Science. This strategy recognizes the importance of note-taking, which has been shown to be a key skill for learning and studying. By grading notes, Jelena makes students more accountable to take them in the first place. Jelena uses Gradescope to grade notes, but not that you can grade notes as you would any assignment. She also teaches with a strategy called 'Flipped Classroom,' which you can learn more about below.
"My grading team and I look if everything in the video [or lecture] made it into students' notes. The completeness [of the notes] gives me feedback of what they understand [and what they do] not."
Jelena uses an instructional structure called a 'flipped classroom.' Essentially, students watch lectures outside of class, and Jelena uses in-class time for active learning activities. This is referred to as 'flipped' because it is the opposite of the traditional method. Note that you can grade students' notes regardless of whether or not your class is flipped.
Key Questions:
- Why do you grade students' notes?
Highlights:
- Grading notes encourages students to take them in the first place. Taking notes has a host of benefits, ranging from facilitating better learning to providing the instructor with information about students' understanding of lecture.
Key Questions:
- What are the benefits for students?
- What have been students' reactions?
- How has your teaching benefited?
Highlights:
- Students learn better when they take notes and benefit in the longer term because they have something to study for quizzes and exams.
- Students like it when their notes are graded because they get credit for work they've done.
- Jelena's teaching has benefited because looking at students' notes helps her identify how her lectures are impacting students. This tells her which which topics she needs to review.
