"Appealing" Mathematics: Communicating Beyond the Test

Joanne Caniglia, Eastern Michigan University

Too often assessment ends with the completion of a test. If one of our goals is to use assessment and writing to advance students' learning and inform teachers as they make instructional decisions, we need to modify our traditional methods of assessment and communication. Within our mathematics education classes at Eastern Michigan University we have implemented an "appeals process"

Once every student has their test returned, we invite them to write an appeal if they feel the grade was miscalculated, the question was misunderstood, or if they feel their answer was correct. Rules for appeals are given after the first test. Initially students are frustrated. They are accustomed to the teacher spending a great deal of time going over the test. The appeals process encourages students to communicate clearly and use logic and mathematical evidence as verification. We do not want to be the sole authority for right answers. Instead, we want students to become autonomous learners.

The appeals process benefits both teachers and students. Students have a method to argue their point in an appropriate manner and come to a greater appreciation of vocabulary and conditions of problems, while teachers use the appeals to understand students' thought processes. As the term progresses, students write more detailed and more logical appeals. Teachers in turn grow in awareness of misconceptions and become more accurate in test construction. Using an appeals process means that assessment does not end when a grade is placed on a students' paper, rather it provides a better understanding of the mathematical concept it was meant to assess. This session will provide a description of the appeals process, rules for implementation, and examples of students and teacher comments.