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Marking assignment is a very demanding and time-consuming task, especially if you intend to do it thoroughly (and you should). It is also a big responsibility, as you have the students' success in your handhands. It might be that your supervisor underestimated the time necessary to take care of it, although it's difficult to say without knowing the exact content of the assignment.

From my experience of grading assignments and exams (topics: acoustics and fluid mechanics), 2 weeks of work for a class of the size you mention doesn't sound like a lot, especially if, as you said, you needed to get accustomed to the specific aspects of the course.

I am wondering whether it is normal to have spent so much time marking.

My answer is yes, even though it depends on the type of exam. It might indicate that you take the task seriously, and it's a good thing.

Now as for:

How to mark student reports more efficiently

Here are some of my usual approaches:

  • Make sure you clearly identify the 'gold standard' to which you will compare the answers. Is there a ready-made solution (from last year) or do you need to make your own (if it's the later, the 2 weeks time frame is even less surprising). The prof/instructor should help you with this step.
  • Grade a given section/exercise at a time, for all students and then switch to the next one.
  • Do a quick overview of all the assignments to identify the good quality ones, grade them first.
  • Take a break between individual exercises, maybe do some of your administrative or research work for a while (this to avoid overdose).
  • Don't take cases of very low quality assignments personally (student clearly didn't attend class, tried to get away with an all-nighter, don't care about the grade, etc.). Students have their reasons. It's not you, it's them.

The good news is that you will theoretically be better and quicker at doing this next term.

Good luck!

Marking assignment is a very demanding and time-consuming task, especially if you intend to do it thoroughly (and you should). It is also a big responsibility, as you have the students' success in your hand. It might be that your supervisor underestimated the time necessary to take care of it, although it's difficult to say without knowing the exact content of the assignment.

From my experience of grading assignments and exams (topics: acoustics and fluid mechanics), 2 weeks of work for a class of the size you mention doesn't sound like a lot, especially if, as you said, you needed to get accustomed to the specific aspects of the course.

I am wondering whether it is normal to have spent so much time marking.

My answer is yes, even though it depends on the type of exam.

Now as for:

How to mark student reports more efficiently

Here are some of my approaches:

  • Make sure you clearly identify the 'gold standard' to which you will compare the answers. Is there a ready-made solution (from last year) or do you need to make your own (if it's the later, the 2 weeks time frame is even less surprising). The prof/instructor should help you with this step.
  • Grade a given section/exercise at a time, for all students and then switch to the next one.
  • Do a quick overview of all the assignments to identify the good quality ones, grade them first.
  • Take a break between individual exercises, maybe do some of your administrative or research work for a while (this to avoid overdose).
  • Don't take cases of very low quality assignments personally (student clearly didn't attend class, tried to get away with an all-nighter, don't care about the grade, etc.). Students have their reasons. It's not you, it's them.

The good news is that you will theoretically be better and quicker at doing this next term.

Good luck!

Marking assignment is a very demanding and time-consuming task, especially if you intend to do it thoroughly (and you should). It is also a big responsibility, as you have the students' success in your hands. It might be that your supervisor underestimated the time necessary to take care of it, although it's difficult to say without knowing the exact content of the assignment.

From my experience of grading assignments and exams (topics: acoustics and fluid mechanics), 2 weeks of work for a class of the size you mention doesn't sound like a lot, especially if, as you said, you needed to get accustomed to the specific aspects of the course.

I am wondering whether it is normal to have spent so much time marking.

My answer is yes, even though it depends on the type of exam. It might indicate that you take the task seriously, and it's a good thing.

Now as for:

How to mark student reports more efficiently

Here are some of my usual approaches:

  • Make sure you clearly identify the 'gold standard' to which you will compare the answers. Is there a ready-made solution (from last year) or do you need to make your own (if it's the later, the 2 weeks time frame is even less surprising). The prof/instructor should help you with this step.
  • Grade a given section/exercise at a time, for all students and then switch to the next one.
  • Do a quick overview of all the assignments to identify the good quality ones, grade them first.
  • Take a break between individual exercises, maybe do some of your administrative or research work for a while (this to avoid overdose).
  • Don't take cases of very low quality assignments personally (student clearly didn't attend class, tried to get away with an all-nighter, don't care about the grade, etc.). Students have their reasons. It's not you, it's them.

The good news is that you will theoretically be better and quicker at doing this next term.

Good luck!

added 267 characters in body
Source Link
Cape Code
  • 27.3k
  • 8
  • 98
  • 151

Marking assignment is a very demanding and time-consuming task, especially if you intend to do it thoroughly (and you should). It is also a big responsibility, as you have the students' success in your hand. It might be that your supervisor underestimated the time necessary to take care of it, although it's difficult to say without knowing the exact content of the assignment.

From my experience of grading assignments and exams (topics: acoustics and fluid mechanics), 2 weeks of work for a class of the size you mention doesn't sound like a lot, especially if, as you said, you needed to get accustomed to the specific aspects of the course.

I am wondering whether it is normal to have spent so much time marking.

My answer is yes, even though it depends on the type of exam.

Now as for:

How to mark student reports more efficiently

Here are some of my approaches:

  • Make sure you clearly identify the 'gold standard' to which you will compare the answers. Is there a ready-made solution (from last year) or do you need to make your own (if it's the later, the 2 weeks time frame is even less surprising). The prof/instructor should help you with this step.
  • Grade a given section/exercise at a time, for all students and then switch to the next one.
  • Do a quick overview of all the assignments to identify the good quality ones, grade them first.
  • Take a break between individual exercises, maybe do some of your administrative or research work for a while (this to avoid overdose).
  • Don't take cases of very low quality assignments personally (student clearly didn't attend class, tried to get away with an all-nighter, don't care about the grade, etc.). Students have their reasons. It's not you, it's them.

The good news is that you will theoretically be better and quicker at doing this next term. 

Good luck!

Marking assignment is a very demanding and time-consuming task, especially if you intend to do it thoroughly (and you should). It is also a big responsibility, as you have the students' success in your hand. It might be that your supervisor underestimated the time necessary to take care of it, although it's difficult to say without knowing the exact content of the assignment.

From my experience of grading assignments and exams (topics: acoustics and fluid mechanics), 2 weeks of work for a class of the size you mention doesn't sound like a lot, especially if, as you said, you needed to get accustomed to the specific aspects of the course.

I am wondering whether it is normal to have spent so much time marking.

My answer is yes, even though it depends on the type of exam.

Now as for:

How to mark student reports more efficiently

Here are some of my approaches:

  • Make sure you clearly identify the 'gold standard' to which you will compare the answers. Is there a ready-made solution (from last year) or do you need to make your own (if it's the later, the 2 weeks time frame is even less surprising). The prof/instructor should help you with this step.
  • Grade a given section/exercise at a time, for all students and then switch to the next one.
  • Do a quick overview of all the assignments to identify the good quality ones, grade them first.
  • Take a break between individual exercises, maybe do some of your administrative or research work for a while.

The good news is that you will theoretically be better at doing this next term. Good luck!

Marking assignment is a very demanding and time-consuming task, especially if you intend to do it thoroughly (and you should). It is also a big responsibility, as you have the students' success in your hand. It might be that your supervisor underestimated the time necessary to take care of it, although it's difficult to say without knowing the exact content of the assignment.

From my experience of grading assignments and exams (topics: acoustics and fluid mechanics), 2 weeks of work for a class of the size you mention doesn't sound like a lot, especially if, as you said, you needed to get accustomed to the specific aspects of the course.

I am wondering whether it is normal to have spent so much time marking.

My answer is yes, even though it depends on the type of exam.

Now as for:

How to mark student reports more efficiently

Here are some of my approaches:

  • Make sure you clearly identify the 'gold standard' to which you will compare the answers. Is there a ready-made solution (from last year) or do you need to make your own (if it's the later, the 2 weeks time frame is even less surprising). The prof/instructor should help you with this step.
  • Grade a given section/exercise at a time, for all students and then switch to the next one.
  • Do a quick overview of all the assignments to identify the good quality ones, grade them first.
  • Take a break between individual exercises, maybe do some of your administrative or research work for a while (this to avoid overdose).
  • Don't take cases of very low quality assignments personally (student clearly didn't attend class, tried to get away with an all-nighter, don't care about the grade, etc.). Students have their reasons. It's not you, it's them.

The good news is that you will theoretically be better and quicker at doing this next term. 

Good luck!

Source Link
Cape Code
  • 27.3k
  • 8
  • 98
  • 151

Marking assignment is a very demanding and time-consuming task, especially if you intend to do it thoroughly (and you should). It is also a big responsibility, as you have the students' success in your hand. It might be that your supervisor underestimated the time necessary to take care of it, although it's difficult to say without knowing the exact content of the assignment.

From my experience of grading assignments and exams (topics: acoustics and fluid mechanics), 2 weeks of work for a class of the size you mention doesn't sound like a lot, especially if, as you said, you needed to get accustomed to the specific aspects of the course.

I am wondering whether it is normal to have spent so much time marking.

My answer is yes, even though it depends on the type of exam.

Now as for:

How to mark student reports more efficiently

Here are some of my approaches:

  • Make sure you clearly identify the 'gold standard' to which you will compare the answers. Is there a ready-made solution (from last year) or do you need to make your own (if it's the later, the 2 weeks time frame is even less surprising). The prof/instructor should help you with this step.
  • Grade a given section/exercise at a time, for all students and then switch to the next one.
  • Do a quick overview of all the assignments to identify the good quality ones, grade them first.
  • Take a break between individual exercises, maybe do some of your administrative or research work for a while.

The good news is that you will theoretically be better at doing this next term. Good luck!