Why is this article worth discussing: College doesn’t offer students much guidance or practice self-assessing. In college, teachers grade student work. Students don’t have the expertise or objectivity that accurate assessments require. But some teachers have explored approaches that develop students’ self-assessment skills and work around some of the self-grading issues. This article provides an example that honestly explores the successes and failures of one approach. It’s worth discussing because self-grading has potent benefits. It forces students to look at their work critically. It increases the chance that students will learn from their mistakes. Self-grading experiences prepare students for the self-assessment activities their futures will likely hold.
