JGRAMS: Just-in-time Grading for Effective Feedback

JGRAMS (Just-in-time Grading Messages) is a system designed to promote quality in student papers and reports, and to improve efficiency in grading. It does this by providing students with a Word template for the assignment, which contains rubrics as structured comments called JGRAMs, located with specific sections of the template. The idea is to make grading rubrics very evident to the student, who is thus more likely to pay attention to the qualities desired. Global JGRAMs are used as well. The instructor inserts as many such comment-rubrics into the document template as they wish, at any location, with whatever weight they desire. Once the student submits the paper, the grader provides feedback and grades within each JGRAM. Grading is easier and less time-consuming because each rubric, the student's corresponding work, the grade for that rubric, and the feedback are co-located. JGRAMS handles everything else automatically, including weight rationalization and summation.