About Alternative Grading
Alternative grading is an umbrella term for assessment practices that de-emphasize letter grades and points in favor of qualitative feedback and mastery of learning objectives. In the age of generative AI, these methods help shift the focus from “getting the points” to “doing the learning.” Traditional grading often measures compliance rather than actual growth. Switching to an alternative grading model can:
- Reduce anxiety for students: Lowers the stakes, allowing students to take creative risks without fear of a “GPA-killer” mistake.
- Discourage academic dishonesty: When the “high-stakes” pressure of a single grade is removed, the incentive to use AI for a “quick fix” decreases.
- Promote equity: Recognizes that students start at different points and have varying access to resources outside the classroom.
Resources
The following are some resources about alternative grading:
- Ungrading: a radical old idea, picking up steam by Firas Moosvi, Celeste Leander, Jaclyn Stewart
- Ungrading: an Introduction by Jesse Stommel
- Ungrading: a Bibliography by Jesse Stommel
- Teaching More by Grading Less (or Differently) by Schinske and Tanner
- Why I Ungrade, and a How-To Primer by Celeste Leander
More resources coming soon!