Three Strategies for Managing and

Personalizing Large Classes

Alan AblesonMath & Stats

Crowdmark

Crowdmark

Paper tests, now marked online

Time savings:

On average, 25% less time taken to grade papers.

Time savings:

On average, 25% less time taken to grade papers.

(Personal best: about 50% less time)

Soft benefits:• Comments can be much longer and more

detailed

• Can review TA grading before students get tests back.

• Adding late papers from accommodations no problem

• Track and balance TA marking time

• Regrading far easier to manage

and more!

Fairness and Feedback:

Everyone gets their paper back!

Yes, Crowdmark costs money.

(But there is that time-savings pitch for your department head!)

OnQ Responses and the power of (E-)Mail Merge

Generated and sent 100+ emails per week.Answers took 1-2 hours.

Student feedback: "I can't believe you actually emailed me!"

Student feedback: "I can't believe you actually emailed me!"

And it's actually kind of fun!

In-House Course Materials

In-House Course Materials

In most math and science courses, most content doesn't change when the textbook edition changes.

In-House Course Materials

In most math and science courses, most content doesn't change when the textbook edition changes.

What does change then?

Goal: separate textbook use as a reference from use as a problem source.

The Fair Dealing Policy defines a short excerpt as follows:

• up to 10% of a copyright-protected work (including a literary work, musical score, sound recording, and an audiovisual work)

• one chapter from a book

• a single article from a periodical….

http://library.queensu.ca/help-services/copyright-fair-dealing/copyright-basics-instructors

In my first year math courses, the textbooks ($150+) are now optional.

Students can purchase any edition.

All students have the same problem sets, with solutions.

We don't have to work on the publisher's edition release schedule…

Questions or comments?