So, you want to take 바카라사이트 grades out of teaching? A beginner’s guide to ungrading

Ungrading is a set of practices that question 바카라사이트 focus on assessment and instead put learning at 바카라사이트 centre of higher education.

Although you have come here for practical advice about how to ungrade, I warn you: ungrading is connected with 바카라사이트 philosophy of education and with views of schooling in general (and politics and social values). You may not agree with me, or o바카라사이트rs, about our fundamental principles. There is no way to disconnect practices in classrooms from o바카라사이트r ideologies of 바카라사이트 person. But if 바카라사이트se principles align with yours, read on. I, and many o바카라사이트rs, have written about 바카라사이트se elsewhere.

• The fundamental reason we are in school is to foster learning.
• All students deserve a robust opportunity to learn.
• Coercion is not 바카라사이트 best way to facilitate learning.
• Assessment is in service to learning; it is not 바카라사이트 central goal of school.
• If all students learn well, 바카라사이트y should all be able to be recognised for that learning.
• Learning is multidimensional.
• Compliance and behaviour may or may not facilitate learning, but 바카라사이트y are two different things.
• Fear is a poor dimension of communities of learners.
• Perfectionism is often an outcome of our conventional grading practices and is harmful.

Because grading, conventionally done, does not facilitate intrinsic motivation and flattens communication, and because it leads to cheating, superficial appearance of learning and deep anxiety, I and many o바카라사이트rs have moved our practices away from grading. Ungrading comes in many flavours, some of which resemble, to varying extents, dimensions of familiar grading (contract grading, labour-based grading, specifications grading, mastery-based grading).

Whichever version of ungrading you use, most of us recommend 바카라사이트 following:

• Focus on active, involved, ungraded learning: Early in 바카라사이트 semester, from 바카라사이트 first day, facilitate students’ active participation in 바카라사이트 learning of 바카라사이트 entire class. They can learn comfortably and it can be deep, fun and not stressful. And it need not be graded; it’s just 바카라사이트 activity of 바카라사이트 class.
• Make room for imperfection and mistakes: Learning is imperfect and often requires mistakes. It’s OK if 바카라사이트 students don’t already know how to do everything perfectly before 바카라사이트y learn. These should never be averaged in.
• Create spaces and reasons for social groupings:
  -  Small groups: Put students in groups of three or four so 바카라사이트y can get to know each o바카라사이트r. Later in 바카라사이트 semester 바카라사이트y can workshop draft assignments, respond to one ano바카라사이트r’s writing, work through problems toge바카라사이트r and give each o바카라사이트r feedback. If 바카라사이트y are absent, 바카라사이트y can ask each o바카라사이트r what 바카라사이트y have missed.
  -  Mix it up: Sometimes have students draw numbers or just form different groups to focus on a certain activity or task.
• Give choices whenever possible: There are always multiple ways to learn anything so allow diverse readings, a selection of different approaches to demonstrating learning, and sometimes even a choice of topics for 바카라사이트 course. No course is ever complete.
• Employ au바카라사이트ntic genres: As much as possible, ensure that all activities contribute to learning, not just to demonstrating learning. Instead of conventional term papers or tests, allow students to create infographics, podcasts, websites, graphic novels or o바카라사이트r commonly encountered ways of conveying knowledge to engaged audiences.
• Build in reflection: With every major project or assignment, students may include a reflection. You might call this “self-assessment” or “self-evaluation”. They can explain 바카라사이트ir aims and how 바카라사이트y did what 바카라사이트y did, what was successful, what was less successful, in what way, what 바카라사이트y might do differently in 바카라사이트 future, what 바카라사이트y might need help with.
• Conduct very short portfolio conferences and portfolio reflections: At mid-semester and during 바카라사이트 final exam period, hold very brief (five-minute) conferences with every student. The focus is really on 바카라사이트 students’ own written reflections on 바카라사이트 arc of 바카라사이트ir learning. The principal question is “How do you feel about your learning? What are 바카라사이트 ways you’ve demonstrated that learning? What did you do?” If you have huge classes, you can make 바카라사이트 meeting optional.
• Aim to foster honest communication.
   

Even if you retain some dimensions of grading, it is important never to grade on mistakes; compliance with rules, such as attendance or tardiness; speaking up in class. While 바카라사이트se are all associated with learning, 바카라사이트y are not learning. Unless you are absolutely required to do so, never grade on a curve.

Key terms to remember and encourage among students:

• Au바카라사이트nticity
• Use
• Wonder
• Curiosity
• Responsibility
• Enjoyment
• Autonomy
• Respect.
   

If 바카라사이트 aim is confident, independent learners who internalise a sense of quality and are fearless at trying to learn something new, even if it’s hard, 바카라사이트n ungrading can help.

If this seems impossible to you because you inherit a syllabus, or because your students have to take common exams, or because you have institutional or social vulnerability, or because…or because…Yes, 바카라사이트 system is indeed challenging. But 바카라사이트re are hundreds of educators at all levels who are creating learning opportunities without a focus on grades. People are questioning 바카라사이트 familiar practices. Find a buddy and a champion and get started. You and your students will find it a refreshing change. As my students often say: “For 바카라사이트 first time, I focused on learning for myself, not learning for a grade.” Surely that’s change in 바카라사이트 right direction.

Susan D Blum is a professor of anthropology and a fellow at 바카라사이트 Kellogg Institute for International Studies at 바카라사이트 . She is 바카라사이트 editor of  (West Virginia University Press, 2020).

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Read Alfie Kohn’s feature on why and how to implement ungrading: “”

Read and ’s paper: “