# Scheme: Specifications Grading in Data Structures

This course example uses a specifications grading scheme and assesses assignments on complete/incomplete basis. Please visit the [Summer 2021 course site](https://vcc-csc212.github.io/sm21/syllabus/#grading) for more detailed information.

## Instructor Process
While students enjoyed [a grading structure](./data-structs-comp) that centered learning and offered them flexibility, having topics that mattered more for their final grade created unnecessary confusion so I decided to change the grading scheme to specifications grading for the summer. For the summer, I kept assignment requirements as-is. Each assignment became complete/incomplete and the only way to complete any given assignment was by meeting ALL requirements. Final course grades were based on the total number of completed assignments, with a minimum of 14 being required to pass with a D (for reference there were around 21 total assignments given out). 

## System basics
Students had to meet all the requirements (I used an autograder so they had to pass all the autograder tests) of: 
- 14-15 assignments to earn a D
- 16-17 assignments to earn a C
- 18-19 assignments to earn a B
- 20+ assignments to earn an A

For reference, there were a total of 21 graded/qualified assignments. Completing and submitting a final project was also a required part of passing the course. Final projects didn't count towards a student's final grade, though an exemplar final project could earn a student a + designation (i.e., a B+ instead of a B). There was an additional opportunity to gain a + designation described in the syllabus, as well as a way to earn a "freebie" (replace a mising or incomplete assignment). 

## Equity and learning focus
- Final course grades were not based on averaging performance across assignments meaning students could have bad weeks that wouldn't hurt their final grade.  
- Students had the agency to choose which and how many assignments to complete.

### Other applied strategies for equity
- Assignment resubmissions were allowed and encouraged throughout the semester. Some topics take longer than others to click, sometimes students have only a limited amount of time to devote to an assignment but can return to it later.
- Soft deadlines and hard deadlines allowed students to self-pace while having an outline of where they should be at with their assignment completion.
- Open-ended final projects to allow students to apply course topics to their own interests.