Professor or Editor?: Time-Saving Strategies for Effective Grading of Writing Assignments
by David S. Hogsette, PhD
A solicited lecture given at a faculty enrichment workshop at Grove City College
©2014
Faculty members, both new and experienced, often struggle with managing the myriad of duties required on campuses today. They are expected to develop exciting courses, teach in dynamic and engaging ways, speak at academic conferences, publish articles and books, serve on committees, advise students, advise student clubs, participate in campus community activities, and be active in the local community. Then, there are family obligations and other social activities to factor in.
When it comes time to grade essays and papers, faculty feel they must spend hours and hours marking, editing, and commenting on drafts and final assignments. But, is spending lots of time grading really a wise and constructive use of time? What is the true instructive value of grading? What is grading? How should we comment on papers? How much should we edit and mark grammar? In this workshop presentation, we explore these and other questions and I provide some tips and strategies for effective, time-saving grading.
