We all have an overarching framework for how we approach grading. This grading system translates our assessments—how we gather information about student progress and growth over time—into a comprehensive course grade at the end of the semester. Designing a grading system can be challenging in the context of student anxieties around grades as well as our own teaching contexts: How do we measure growth when each student has a different starting point? What do we grade and when? We can design grading systems that focus on student growth through incorporating low-stakes or ungraded practice opportunities, self-assessment, and flexibility.
Strategies and Examples
Connecting Grades to Learning
There are many approaches to determining course grades. In recent years, attention has turned to exploring approaches to grading systems that prioritize a variety of different goals—from traditional point and percentage grading, to competency-based grading, specifications grading, labor-based grading, grading for equity, authentic assessment, and many more. Regardless of what approach you take, aligning your assessments and overall grading structure with your learning goals helps communicate to your students how they can succeed in your class and seek support when they need it. Here are some steps to get you started:
- Identify learning evidence. As you design individual assessments, consider what evidence you might need to assess whether a student has met your learning standards. Read more about alignment and Backwards Design in this How Do I page.
- Bridge assessments. Examine your course structure and how assessments might build on each other (i.e. how students can use feedback from one assessment in future assessments).
- Be transparent. Devote some time to talk with your students about your grading system and some of the choices you’ve made. Given we all approach grading differently, this perspective can help students familiarize themselves with your system right from the start.
Does It Need a Grade?
Consider if your assignments need grades to communicate feedback to students. Studies on grading and feedback have consistently shown student intrinsic motivation can be negatively impacted by grades, even if presented with feedback (Butler & Nisan, 1986). That doesn’t mean get rid of all grades! Instead, ponder if there are particular points within your course to prioritize practicing, receiving feedback, and trying again before submitting a final graded assignment.
Grade free zones. Explore designing some ungraded or completion-graded activities to give students opportunities to practice what they are learning without the pressure of points (Stommel, 2020). Or, reduce grades or grade weights in the beginning of your course, giving students time to learn about course expectations before starting to grade (e.g. the first exam is worth less than the second exam).
Keep it simple. Consider simple holistic rubrics that combine completion grading with helpful feedback for certain assignments. The EMRN Rubric, adapted by Robert Talbert, is a tiered, four-point grading scale that is easily adapted across assignments and disciplines. The rubric and other similar models switch the focus from a set of binary options (pass/no pass or complete/incomplete) to the criteria for evaluation explicitly. See how DV Venkataraman uses a similar rubric in his chemistry classes to help students deepen their understanding of course material.
Scaffold your system. Build some grading system scaffolds early on to help highlight the value of ungraded or low stakes activities to encourage buy-in from your students:
- Talk about the why – Be explicit about how these assignments will support students in completing larger graded assignments (e.g. submitting a paper topic ahead of time for feedback or practicing problems are similar to exam questions).
- Make it meaningful – Reference the assignments in class and connect them to course content (e.g. highlight contributions students make in their discussion posts).
- Use class time – Create time to start low/no stakes homework in class and discuss it with peers (even 3 minutes!).
Ultimately, whether ungraded or completion graded assignments are appropriate for your class will depend on the level of your class and the types of activities you are asking students to do (e.g. first-year students might need more structure and feedback as they adjust to college-level course expectations).
Assessment Isn’t Just for Instructors
Growth-based grading systems can also incorporate student self-evaluation and reflection to help you and your students monitor their progress and support student agency and competency.
It’s a process. Explore ways that students can share their thought process with you as they complete an assignment. These reflections can provide more information for you as the instructor about student decision-making to determine if students have met your learning goals. For example, you might ask students to submit a process paper with their final project documenting their design choices. Assignments like these can be particularly helpful in courses where students have differentiated assignments. Read about Beth Jakob’s behavior explainer assignments in our Faculty Success page.
Incorporate self-assessment. Some instructors have used formal self-assessment assignments where students evaluate their own work. For example, Emily Pitts Donahue at the University of Mississippi uses a participation and engagement tracker in her writing classes where students monitor and reflect on their participation throughout the semester. Additionally, hear from Caralyn Zehnder, Senior Lecturer in Biology, about her approach to teaching Junior Year Writing using a cycle of instructor feedback and student self-evaluation. Importantly, reflection is a skill that requires guidance and scaffolding for novice learners. It can often be helpful to provide a rubric or criteria and review with your students beforehand. A single-point rubric is a helpful starting point for practicing self-assessment. From there, consider exploring different structured reflection models, including a short 3-2-1 report or the more detailed Four F’s.
Co-develop evaluation criteria. Creating a rubric with your students for a particular assignment—as a real or practice exercise—can be a great way to review concepts and encourage student ownership of the learning process. Start small with a single-point rubric and ask your students to discuss what a successful assignment might look like. During this discussion, clarify your expectations, the learning goals, and where there’s wiggle room for creativity and student interests. Jason Hooper, Senior Lecturer in Music & Dance, discusses how he has these types of conversations with his students based on an ungrading approach.
When and What to Grade
Graded assessments offer a snapshot of learning in a particular moment; however, recent approaches to grading have explored how to recognize learning is a process that happens over time and looks different for each student.
Flexibility in what is graded. Consider grading structures that allow students to demonstrate progress over time. This might look like dropping the lowest grade on an assignment or quiz, allowing retakes or revisions, or substituting equivalent assignments that still meet your learning goals. Revisions are another opportunity to focus on process: encourage students to share how they incorporated your feedback (or peer feedback) into their revision. Read about how Cathal Kearney, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, uses this type of process assignment.
Flexible deadlines. Grading systems can also recognize that life happens. Flexible deadlines, like a 24-hour grade period, offer students (and you) some breathing room when they really need it while also providing some structure and boundaries over late work, managing revisions, and absences.
Manage revisions with “Best By” dates. Best By dates are deadline suggestions built in before a final deadline—to help students pace themselves when submitting revised work. For example: “Students may complete the problem set by the Best By date or before the final deadline at the end of the module. If you turn it in by the Best By date, you will be able to receive initial feedback and submit a revised post before the final deadline.”
Use tokens. Some instructors have incorporated tokens into their flexible course policies. In this model, students are provided with a certain number of tokens and can choose how to “spend” their tokens on an extension, quiz retake, or missing a class session. This system can work well in large enrollment classes.
References
Photo by Andy Barbour: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-holding-a-marker-6684360/
- The four F’s of active reviewing, shared with the CTL by Erika Hamilton (Microbiology)
- Alternative strategies for assessment and grading. 2022. Duke University Learning Innovation. https://learninginnovation.duke.edu/resources/art-and-science-of-teaching/design-and-grade-course-work/alternative-strategies-for-assessment-and-grading/
- Amobi, Fumbi. 2022. Alternative grading: A framework for emphasizing learning and de-emphasizing grades https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/osuteaching/2022/12/13/alternative-grading-a-framework-for-emphasizing-learning-and-de-emphasizing-grades/
- Butler, R. and Nisan, M., 1986. Effects of no feedback, task-related comments, and grades on intrinsic motivation and performance. Journal of educational psychology, 78(3), p.210.
- Clark, David. 2023. Small Alternative Grading, https://gradingforgrowth.com/p/small-alternative-grading
- Clark, D. and Talbert, R., 2023. Grading for growth: A guide to alternative grading practices that promote authentic learning and student engagement in higher education. Taylor & Francis.
- Haak, D.C., HilleRisLambers, J., Pitre, E. and Freeman, S., 2011. Increased structure and active learning reduce the achievement gap in introductory biology. Science, 332(6034), pp.1213-1216.
- Miller, Michelle D. 2022. Ungrading Light: 4 Simple Ways to Ease the Spotlight Off Points. The Chronicle of Higher Education https://www.chronicle.com/article/ungrading-light-4-simple-ways-to-ease-the-spotlight-off-points
- Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary educational psychology, 61, 101860.
- Stommel, Jesse. 2020. How to ungrade https://www.jessestommel.com/how-to-ungrade/
