Embracing our Student's Technologies - Specifications Grading and Use of Al - Feb 27 2025 Webinar

Aug 27, 2026

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Webinar agenda and educator guidance on specifications grading, emphasizing clear, checklist-based expectations that convert assignments into pass/fail outcomes while avoiding partial credit. The session outlines how to maintain assessment rigor, motivate students, and reduce faculty workload using structured rubrics and exam-style feedback loops. It also addresses how to evaluate learning in open-note contexts by integrating closed-book in-class quiz practice, including examples such as feedback loop quiz and subject-based options.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages29

Reading Time1 h 13 min

AccessFree to download

Speakers

Questions and Comments

Overall Objectives

Grading: The bane of my existence

Exams or other assessments

SPECIFICATIONS GRADING

Tell Students Exactly What A-Level Work Entails

But If It's Al, Open-note, How Can You Tell If Students Learned?

Specs Grading: Higher Grades from Higher Hurdles or More Hurdles

SOT Society of Toxicology # Undergraduate Educator NetworkWebinar Series Embracing our Student's Technologies:Specifications Grading and Use of AlFeb 27,2025 2:00 PM (ET)◎SOT 2025 Welcome Phillip Wages,PhD Cochair,Education and Experiential Opportunities Committee Moderator Estee Lauder Companies Tracie Baker,DVM,PhD Member,Education and Experiential OpportunitiesCommittee Moderator University of Florida ◎SOT 2025 ## Speakers Eva Oberdorster,PhD Senior Lecturer ll Director of Undergraduate StudiesDepartment of Biology Southern Methodist Universityeoberdor@mail.smu.edu ◎SOT 2025 SOT Society ofToxicology ## Questions and Comments ● Please participate. ● Please muted audio when not participating. ● Comments may be submitted through the chaton the bottom control panel. ● Designated breaks are incorporated to answerquestions and allow for discussion ● Download additional materials by scanning theQR code. ◎SOT 2025 Society of Toxicology ## Overall Objectives ● To familiarize the audience with SpecificationsGrading,including the pros and cons ● To provide examples of Specs Grading syllabusand assignments ● To explore using Al in student assignments ◎SOT 2025 SOT Society ofToxicology Teachers cannot make you learn,but we can provide theenvironment to let you learn. ◎SOT 2025 SOT Society ofToxicology Grading:The bane of my existence... ## Exams or other assessments: -grade,then re-grade to ensure consistency-inevitable point grubbing —no new knowledge,just whining-complaints about fairness and interpretations-does not teach students how to think;only how togame the system'by begging for minutae of points-partial/incomplete assignments to get ‘enough'points to earn an A/B/C at end of semester-wears down both professor and students◎SOT 2025 SPECIFICATIONSGRADING Restoring Rigor,Motivating Students,and Saving Faculty Time Linda B.NilsonFOREwORD BY CLAUDIA J.STANNY SOT Society ofToxicology ## Specs Grading: Tell Students Exactly (Specifically)What A-LevelWork Entails Create assignments with a detailed list of expectations. Students either can,or cannot,complete the checklist. Assignments are Pass/Fail. ·no partially complete assignments ·no 'I didn't know what she wanted... ◎SOT 2025 SOT Society of Toxicology But If It's AlI Open-note,How Can You Tell If Students Learned? One assignment which is closed-book,in classFeedback Loop Quiz(Endocrinology)orStarling Forces Quiz(Physiology)multiple in-class practice sessionsamazing (shocking?)how well this separates A/B/C ◎SOT 2025 SOT Society ofToxicology Specs Grading:Higher Grades from Higher Hurdles or More Hurdles Higher Hurdles Higher on Bloom's Taxonomy Ability to solve more complex problemsMore Hurdles Lower on Bloom's TaxonomyMastery of more content

FAQs

What is specifications grading and how does it change assignment design?

Assignments use a detailed list of expectations so students can either fully meet the checklist or not. Work is graded pass/fail with no partially complete submissions.

How does the webinar suggest assessing learning when exams are open-note or AI-enabled?

It recommends using closed-book in-class feedback loop quizzes and multiple in-class practice sessions to measure how well students distinguish A/B/C-level understanding.

What are the intended benefits of specifications grading for faculty and students?

The approach aims to restore rigor, motivate students, and save faculty time by reducing ambiguity in grading and ensuring consistent expectations and outcomes.

Aug 27, 2026

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