Teachers Talking WritingNovember 14, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. to 1:20 p.m.

"Robots and Rubrics: What do our grading practices say about our educational philosophies?"

Marc Bousquet's provocative column in the Chronicle of Higher Education, "Robots Are Grading Your Papers," argues that machines (i.e., computers) can grade student writing effectively because most of the writing that faculty require from students is mechanical and formulaic, detached from the real world, even the "real world" of scholarly writing.

Read Bousquet's column here: http://tinyurl.com/cmdmno6

Are rubrics making us, and our students, stupid? Or are they helpful tools to ensure equity and objectivity, not to mention speeding up grading? Bring your views and/or rubrics; wear old clothes: possible food fight in the offing.

Program runs 11:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m. Free lunch at Three Crowns buffet, meet in Presidential Dining Room.