Grading Lab Reports Effectively: Using Rubrics Developed Collaboratively By Ece And Technical Writing Instructors

This paper describes a collaboration between a sophomore/junior-level lab component in an electrical and computer engineering (ECE) course and a junior-level technical writing course within the Mississippi State University Bagley College of Engineering’s Shackouls Technical Communication Program (TCP). Grading for labs with weekly writing assignments poses challenges previously overlooked by collaborations between ECE and the TCP. Since lengthy reports are required weekly for the Digital Devices and Logic Design (ECE 3714) lab component, grade turnaround must be quick and can become extremely burdensome for teaching assistants, many of whom struggle with writing themselves due to lack of confidence or ESL challenges. This collaboration differs from other ECE-TCP collaborations significantly in that it utilizes a lab-grading system that combines traditional, non-quantitative rubrics and set penalties for mechanical/stylistic errors to expedite the grading process while retaining grading reliability among TAs. Five specific areas have been defined within each rubric to make up the total percentage of the grade, with the point values changing to reflect the focus of each lab. Topics discussed include an overview of analytic versus holistic grading and the rationale behind the authors’ grading approach, previous ECE-TCP collaborations, the combined rubric-set penalties grading system for ECE 3714 with sample grading materials provided, quantitative and qualitative assessments of the newly implemented grading approach, and potential pitfalls of the authors’ grading approach.