Recent analysis of over 30 million grades found that grading student submissions in alphabetical order creates bias against those at the end of the alphabet. Proving exactly what causes this unintentional penalization is difficult, but fatigue is a likely factor.
This can be mitigated by randomizing the order of grading. Blackboard does this when Anonymous Grading has been enabled. Here’s how to enable anonymous grading in Blackboard Ultra and Blackboard Original. You can also mix up the order for grading by clicking on column headers in the gradebook to sort forward or backward by first name or reverse by last name.
Call for Applications! Join the Pedagogy for Equity and Inclusion Faculty Learning Community
GW Libraries and Academic Innovations (LAI) is starting a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) on the topic of Pedagogy for Equity and Inclusion. Participation involves reading Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom, taking part in discussions, and implementing and assessing a change in a Spring 2025 course. Aside from having a concrete, research-based change to implement in your course, participants who complete all of the FLC milestones will receive a $500 stipend.
We’d like to highlight another university-wide opportunity. The Raise Up GW REACH program, which seeks to build student Resilience by promoting Engagement with and Access to Campus Health and well-being resources is hosting a series of workshops this semester for GW faculty and staff. These workshops include:
Supporting Students with Disabilities in Higher Education
Intervening with Students of Concern
What to Know When Teaching, Managing, and Supporting Gen Z
Recognizing Signs of Trauma: How Trauma Symptoms Manifest in Classrooms
Attend five or more of the workshops and receive a "Student Well-being Champion" certificate and a catered lunch with other champions
