The University of Florida is running a limited pilot of Gradescope by TurnItIn, a feedback and assessment tool that streamlines grading exams, homework, and other assignments. By reducing the logistical time required to grade, instructors using Gradescope can provide more timely and constructive feedback for students. This post outlines Gradescope features and the opportunities to participate in the pilot.

Specifications grading (also known as specs grading) is not necessarily a new grading scheme, but it was a new concept to me when I was first introduced to it recently. I am currently working with Dr. Cynda Crawford from the College of Veterinary Medicine to revise one of her courses to utilize specs grading. While we have not made any changes within her course just yet, I have conducted research on this system of grading and thought this would be an excellent time to briefly outline what I have learned.

I was excited when I learned that two of my colleagues, Laura Jervis and Ariel Gunn, were organizing an accessibility community of practice at UF last fall because I know the dedication and passion they have for digital accessibility and inclusive course design. In the last six months, I’ve watched the group in Teams share resources, discuss issues, and grow to about 50 members.

While there were virtual options to attend, for the first time since Fall 2019, I opted to participate in Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Innovate in person, a conference centered around sharing best practices, testing new ideas, and collaborating on moving online, digital, and blended learning forward.

Near the beginning of the pandemic, I wrote a piece called Perusall: New #EdTech That’s Worth Your Time. I described it as a collaborative eReader to transform the typical isolated reading experience (yawn!*) into one where students can engage in social annotations of the material that would then be auto-graded based on their participation. I’m happy to report that this free product has continued to make improvements to broaden its utility beyond course readings to other media, such as videos and podcasts.