Description:

About the Workshop:
Problem sets are a commonly used assessment tool in STEM classrooms, however grading these assignments can be daunting for new TAs. The objective of this workshop is to help participants improve their problem set grading by introducing efficient, fair, and communicative approaches to grading. This workshop will also address conflicts that may arise in grading and how TAs can respond to them appropriately. Participants will practice grading problem set style questions and address grading conflicts in scenario-based exercises to apply the approaches introduced. As a whole, this workshop will equip STEM TAs with effective grading strategies to use in their courses.

About the Facilitators:
Alanna Felts is a 4th year PhD candidate in the chemistry department. Her research focuses on using computational methods to better understand the behavior of metals and ions at surfaces. She has participated in the Mentored Discussions of Teaching program as well as the Teaching Certificate Program at Northwestern University, and has always had a passion for teaching and helping students gain confidence in themselves in STEM fields. She has also TA’d for several General Chemistry courses.

Madison Spratt is a 3rd year PhD candidate in the Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences department. She studies virulence regulation in Salmonella at the single-cell level. Madison has TA’d for biology classes including laboratory and lecture based courses. She was previously a workshop leader at the Searle Graduate Student Teaching Conference and is excited to lead an additional workshop geared towards STEM teaching.