PLC banner

ETHN 137: Race and Ethnicity in Latin America and the Caribbean

Improved Performance, Rubric, Research Paper

Reflection on Instructional Change:

I started teaching this course in 2017 and have worked tirelessly in modifying the class to help students better succeed in the final writing assignment. For ETHN 137 I assign a final research paper on the topic of gender violence, however, despite this being an upper-level course I noticed that students struggled in organizing their ideas and developing them into arguments using the concepts and theories covered in the course. Students were able to speak to the main concepts regarding gender violence but the lack of structure in the paper and engagement with the course readings significantly impacted their grade on the final research paper which is worth 30% of the final grade. The quality of final papers was already a struggle in my face-to-face courses, however, after the COVID-19 pandemic, student performance worsened. I take ownership of this slip because I had not developed a tool for targeted improvement which is what I learned from the ACUE course. ACUE helped me develop a detailed yet clear rubric for the final paper that I could use for all my classes (in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous) to break down the four key categories of the paper which were: Thesis (worth 10 points) Feminist Analysis (worth 40 points), Engagement with Readings (worth 40 points) and Organization (worth 10 points) totaling 100 points.

Implementing this practice was significantly useful because I saw a great improvement not only in student scores but also in their critical writing skills and ability to communicate complex ideas. Students shared with me that the rubric helped them understand exactly how I was scoring their paper in terms of ideas, use of course readings, and their ability to demonstrate understanding and application of specific feminist theories. Such transparency in the breakdown of every point is necessary because many students in the past would challenge their final paper grade when I did not use a rubric. Additionally, students would make comments that my grading was “subjective” which only caused confusion, frustration, and a lack of motivation for students. Therefore, the rubric helped provide an objective understanding and show the consistency of how I grade all papers in accordance with the expectations and criteria detailed in the final paper prompt.

The learning activities that influenced me the most toward making changes in my teaching were the demonstration videos and the implementation resources. I found the demonstration videos useful because I was able to take on the position of spectator and simply observe faculty and student interaction instead of partaking in it. This “outsider” position helped me take on a more objective perspective where I could make observations of both the professor and the student instead of only being aware of student performance and behavior. The implementation resources were my favorite because they provided a wealth of resources for me to hang on to and explore in future courses. Studying the implementation resources opened the possibilities for the types of assignments and active learning activities to try with my students and assess what works best and what does not work in my classes.

The takeaway from my Observe and Analyze session was when my colleagues suggested that I revise some of the language and phrasing in my rubric to make it easier for students to understand. This feedback helped me realize that my use of certain theoretical terms appeared convoluted and was not accessible for students who were already struggling with understanding the concepts and therefore made it more difficult for them to implement the rubric in their research paper.

Evidence of Instructional Change

Image 1: Above is a screenshot of the rubric that I explained in my Observe and Analyze” video clip. The image below captures the criteria of “Thesis” and “Feminist Analysis” which I thoroughly explained using a projected image of the rubric in class.

is a screenshot of a student response paper that I assign to students in the preparation for the final research paper

Image 2: Above is a screenshot of a student response paper that I assign to students in the preparation for the final research paper. Students read multiple articles on gender violence in Latin America and practice developing a feminist analysis which as described in the rubric is a large component (4o points) of the final research paper.

Screenshot of ACUE resource page

Image #3: Above is a screenshot of an ACUE resource page titled, “Revising your Paper” discussed in module 4: Helping Students Persist in their Studies. I used this resource to help me create my rubric for the research paper because it provided helpful insight on how to help students analyze their work and gave me ideas on how to break down the process in a way that highlights the thesis, structure and argument which I applied to the rubric.

Practice and Reflect on: Uplifting Student Voice through Student Choice

1. Which of the practice(s) shared by the experts and faculty in this module did you implement?
I have implemented the practice of choice in my classes. For example, in my classes, I assign biweekly summaries of our readings. I give students the choice of choosing one article from the two we read weekly and facilitating a class discussion. As discussed in this module and illustrated in the video, when students are given choice, they feel more ownership and as a result, engage deeper with the discussion.

2. How did your use of the practice(s) impact your students or your teaching?
Giving choices impacts my students in a positive way because they see how a healthy learning environment involves communication and contribution from both student and professor, not only the professor. Establishing a more egalitarian relationship where the students feel heard to voice their concerns instead of using a top-down approach where the students only follow orders.

3. What other steps will you take to continue to continue to refine your use of the practices shared in this module?
Another practice I will adopt is implementing mini assignments in between a final research paper such as a short proposal, an annotated bibliography etc. Each assignment will give them an opportunity to revise in accordance with my feedback and slowly build towards the final research paper. Revision is key to strengthening students writing but it is important for the professor to take the time and provide one on one feedback or rubrics instead of only providing grades.

Course Syllabus: ETHN 137_Fall 2022 Revised 3.docx

Faculty Bio

I am an assistant professor of Ethnic Studies and Chicanx/Latinx studies. This semester, I am teaching two sections of ETHN 30: Introduction to Chicanx/Latinx studies and one section ETHN 137: Race and Ethnicity in Latin America and the Caribbean. I hold a PhD degree in American Studies with a specialization in Latin American studies and Women and Gender Studies. My research focuses on how genocidal violence historically targets indigenous women in Guatemala specifically focusing on contemporary impunity related to gender violence known as feminicides in Latin America.

This work was supported by:

National Science Foundation Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM Zone DUE 1832335

CSU Office of the Chancellor Academic Affairs grant for Faculty Professional Development

US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012

*Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.

National Science Foundation seal

Seal of the Department of Education