We welcome proposals in a variety of formats and in two tracks (research and practice), from faculty or staff, instructors or students, in any discipline, that can be analytical or theoretical (“why alternative grading?”), narrative (“what we did”), or practical (“how to…”).
Tracks
For conference planning, it is useful to group contributions based on format, style, and topic. Proposals will be categorized in two tracks, research and practice, both of which are essential elements in our considerations of alternative grading and trust in the age of AI.
Research Track
Contributions in this track will typically be traditional research papers (15–20 mins), but may also be poster presentations (5–15 mins), position papers or lightning talks (5-10 mins), or reports on active or completed research in alternative grading and trust in the age of AI.
Practice Track
Contributions in this track will typically include guided discussions (15–30 mins), position papers or lightning talks (5-10 mins), workshops (30–45 mins), or reflections on a particular assignment, question, or activity in the spirit of alternative grading and trust in the age of AI.
We do understand this is far from a hard and fast division, and encourage proposals that crossover between research and practice. We are open also to entire panel proposals (30–45 mins), with multiple presenters, in either track.
Potential Topics
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Approaches to the grade: grading and its discontents
- Research on alternative grading (perspectives from students, faculty, learning)
- Alternative grading and power; how to build trust
- Alternative grading and student expectations
- Alternative grading and anxiety; the psychology of the grade
- Alternative grading and grade inflation
- Alternative grading and AI
- Alternative grading and the disciplines: Arts, Sciences…
- Alternative grading at scale: large courses and small
- The logistics and workload of alternative grading
- Why do we grade?
- Alternative grading and the institution: how to speak to Department Heads?
- Institutional policies that inhibit (or promote) alternative grading
- Alternative grading as a precariat (Sessional, adjunct, TA, etc)…
- Experiencing alternative grading from the student perspective
- Resistance to alternative grading: from students, colleagues, and others
- Comparisons of alternative grading systems: contract grading; specifications grading; self-assessment; peer assessment…
- The practicalities of alternative grading: syllabuses, activities, the LMS…
- Learning technologies and alternative grading
- Reports on experiments and experiences with alternative grading
- Cool/clever/interesting alternative grading assignments/questions/activities for students
Note that some topics may be better suited for the research track, and others to the practice track. We welcome other suggestions.
Submit a Proposal
Please submit proposals by August 15, 2026.
For more information, or for any questions, contact Jon Beasley-Murray at jon.beasley-murray@ubc.ca.