Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (And What to Do Instead). Edited by Susan D. Blum. Morgantown: West Virginia University Press, 2020. 

• Abstract: This interdisciplinary edited collection brings together theoretical and practical explorations of ungrading, exploring different models and offering both practical examples and reflections from practitioners across the disciplines. Examples include contract grading in writing-driven courses as well as an organic chemistry course restructured around ungraded work.

• Suggested discussion questions: Why do we grade? What does it feel like to be graded? What do we want grading to do or not do in our classrooms? Could you imagine implementing one of these models in your classroom? Why or why not? 

• Tags: ungrading, contract grading, distance-traveled

Bowles, Samuel. The Moral Economy: Why Good Incentives Are No Substitute for Good Citizens. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2016.

• Abstract: In reviewing the economic research on moral and economic motives, the author emphasizes the potential crowding out effect for both economic rewards/ relevant penalties. This may be transferable to our thinking about assessment, because penalty or better grades may not be the best way to encourage students to truly devote themselves to learning.

• Suggested discussion question(s): How can we focus on rewarding positive behavior, rather than just censuring negative behavior? How can we build intrinsic motivation through fostering relationships in the classroom (between students; between instructors and students), rather than creating transactional relationships?  

• Tags: incentives, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation

Cimino, Adria J. “An Inside Look at Sorbonne Grades,” Medium (February 15, 2015). https://medium.com/paris-stories/an-inside-look-at-sorbonne-grades-66ee4a87b0e5

• Abstract: A short blog post from an American experiencing the French education system through her children and her husband’s past experience. The author explores the differences between French and American grades, while reflecting on how those differences shape engagement and reflect cultural norms. 

• Suggested discussion question(s): How does culture impact grading? How do past experiences shape students’ perceptions of our grading or ungrading systems? How do we instill intrinsic motivation in our students? Does written feedback change the way that students perceive their own progress, and which disciplines prioritize that kind of feedback?

• Tags: grading systems, culture, international education

Gorichanaz, Tim.  “‘It Made Me Feel Like It Was Okay to Be Wrong’: Student Experiences with Ungrading.” Active Learning in Higher Education, May 2022: 1-23. 

• Abstract: A qualitative study that includes in-depth interviews with eight students and reports on four experiential themes that characterize the switch to un-grading. These themes include “de-gamification, or unsettling the “gamified” nature of evaluation in the traditional grading system; time to think and reflect, creating space for review and the deepening of learning; rich communication, or continual feedback between teacher and student; and learning community, in which students felt like they were part of a team effort rather than siloed individuals.” 

• Suggested discussion question(s): What characteristics of ungrading can best equip students to maximize their learning and succeed in an ever-changing fast-paced world?

• Tags: ungrading, gamification, reflection, communication, feedback

Miller, Michelle D. “Ungrading Light: 4 Simple Ways to Ease the Spotlight off Points.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. August 2, 2022. 

• This brief piece considers both the appeal of ungrading and some ways of easing into the process – yielding some of the benefits of the process without redesigning a course entirely. Those include ideas like implementing some ungraded required assignments, dropping late work penalties, and offering two-stage exams, among others. 

• Suggested discussion questions: Which of these ideas seem practicable to you? What drawbacks or benefits might you see after implementation? 

• Tags: ungrading, contract grading, distance-traveled

Ren, Eva. “What Your Grades Really Mean: A TEDx Talk.” April 19, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu5GPsnxBS4.  

• Abstract: Grades don’t tell the full story. This Ted Talk, from the perspective of a twelfth grade student, explores how grades limit creativity, discourage students from taking classes outside of their comfort zone, and impinge their self-confidence. 

• Suggested discussion question(s): Does grading impede creativity and long-term knowledge? 

• Tags: Grading, motivation, student voice

Scheinfield, Daniel R., Karen M. Haigh, and Sandra J.P. Scheinfeld. We Are All Explorers: Learning and Teaching with Reggio Principles in Urban Setting. 

• Abstract: A real world case study of education using the Reggio Emilia approach which focuses on preschool and elementary learning as a student-focused, self-guided experience. “While focusing on the application, meaning, and value of Reggio Emilia principles in preschool classrooms, the authors also describe how those same principles and processes pervade relationships with parents, the professional development of teachers, and the overall organization of the program. Offering a powerful combination of theory and practice, this comprehensive model: Provides 10 years of lessons learned from successfully implementing the Reggio Approach in American inner-city schools.”

• Suggested discussion question(s): How can the 11 pedagogical principles (or any one of them) be adapted to higher education? If graduate education is already shaped by students’ individual interests, how can we build curricula and assessment mechanisms that honor that? What systems and practices have prevented these approaches from being accepted as valid pedagogical tools for higher education?

• Tags: Interest-driven, exploratory, early childhood, perspective-taking

These resources were curated by members of the Fall 2023 Grading and Ungrading Learning Community for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, facilitated by Gina Marie Hurley and Rachel Wilson. 

Members of this group included Tianyi Zeng, Devin Thomas, Jasper Eastman, Kasturi Roy, Emma Mew, Fiona Bell, Hannah Keller, Thomas Zapadka, Alana Felton, Leonardo Carvalho, Patricia DuCharme, Allegra Ayida, Brielle Januszewski, and Isabelle Chouinard.