Common-sense teaching for the 2020s: Ungrading in response to covid-19 and beyond

Abstract

Conventional letter- or number-based grading systems, though ubiquitous at all levels of education, do not optimize the learning experience. The philosophy of “ungrading” includes a variety of approaches that decenter or even remove numeric or letter scoring of student work in favor of descriptive feedback, opportunities for revision, self-assessment and reflection, and assessment toward mastery. This paper presents one of the few published descriptions of the use of ungrading approaches in geoscience courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. We showcase four approaches, detailing the courses and ungrading structures used, positive outcomes and challenges, and tools that might allow others to apply these methods. We describe (a) mastery and specifications grading, chosen to promote mastery of course materials in mid- and upper-level courses for college majors; (b) labor-based grading used to promote depth of student learning by focusing on revision; (c) collaborative grading utilizing self-assessment and reflection chosen to promote meta-cognition and growth mindset; and, (d) partial ungrading as a means to begin the ungrading process. Importantly, our experiences have led us to recognize the equity that ungrading approaches create, enabling students from different backgrounds, including students of color and disabled students, to find stronger support and build greater competence and confidence in geoscience classes.