Alternative Grading Methods

Alternative grading methods, such as ungrading and contract grading, have been gaining popularity in recent years. These grading systems shift the focus away from assigning evaluative grades to individual assignments and towards the learning process. In this manner, instructors can help students become self-regulated learners, and can spend their time providing students with detailed feedback on their progression to achieving the course learning outcomes.  

Contents

The Problem with Traditional Grades 
Alternative Grading Methods 
Where to start? 
Challenges of Alternative Grading Systems 
 Additional Resources and References  

The Problem with Traditional Grades

Here, we are defining traditional grades as a system in which each assignment a student turns in is assigned an evaluative score (i.e. a grade), weighted according to an instructor’s syllabus, and then computed to determine a final course grade. Every assignment is evaluated for effort, content, and mastery of the learning outcomes associated with that course. There are typically few opportunities to revise assignments and continue the learning process, instead the grade indicates that the learning process is over. Traditional grading systems are effective because they are simple, well-established in our educational system, and easily adaptable to different courses. A math course and a writing course can both easily use the A-F grading scale that most are familiar with, even if it is somewhat ineffective for either discipline.  

However, research shows many issues with traditional grading systems. Grades decrease students’ motivation to learn, enjoyment of learning, and curiosity. They make students more risk-averse and less willing to try out new concepts/techniques in their work because they worry about being penalized for mistakes. They can negatively impact students’ mental health, increase competition among peers, and contribute to damaging and antagonistic interactions between students and instructors. How many students have come to your office hours or emailed you just to talk about grades? Wouldn’t you rather your interactions with students be focused around learning and mastering the material than around what students need to do to get an A in the course? 

Grades also prove challenging to instructors: grading is time-consuming, tedious, and does not foster the supportive relationships we want to garner with our students. Instead, grades signal to students that the learning process is over and the “grade trumps the comment,” so students focus on their letter grade, as opposed to instructor feedback which will help them improve in the future.    

“[R]ather than stimulating an interest in learning, grades primarily enhance students’ motivation to avoid receiving bad grades.” (Schinske and Tanner, 2014) 

Additionally, grades reinforce systemic inequities within our educational system, and are subject to instructor bias, both explicit and implicit. Grades are thus more likely to reflect a student’s demographics and background rather than their understanding of the course material. Indeed, for all students, grades are a poor measure of learning. They don’t demonstrate what a student has gained from a course, and what information they’ll retain as they move through their college years and beyond. Reflect on courses you took while in school: Have you ever earned an A in a course without retaining any of the content? What did an A in that course represent to you?  

 

Alternative Grading Methods

Ready to try something new? Below are a few different options for alternative grading methods.  

Ungrading 

An educational approach that focuses on learning and growth rather than assigning grades. Instead of traditional grading practices, ungrading emphasizes frequent feedback, self-reflection, and metacognition. A typical ungrading approach will allow students multiple opportunities to revise, improve, and learn from their work, which allows them to take control of their learning and promotes intrinsic motivation. If needed, “grades” are typically defined by a student’s reflection on the learning process and awarded through a conversation between the student and instructor. Ungrading may be particularly useful in courses where students have intrinsic motivation to learn the material and can see clear rationale for completing assignments.  

Read more about ungrading in this FAQ by Jesse Stommel 

 

Contract grading 

A system where a grading contract is developed (either by the instructor alone, or in conjunction with students) and the requirements for specific grades are clearly outlined. Students have clear criteria for assessment and are responsible for meeting these expectations in order to receive a specific grade in the course. Contract grading has become particularly popular in writing courses, as students can “start” from any skill level, and progress by completing assignments and incorporating feedback. Some use the term “labor-based” to define this system where students’ are assessed on their labor and progression towards learning outcomes from any starting point. 

Read more about contract grading here by Asao Inoue, and here by Peter Elbow 

 

Specifications grading  

A system where the instructor sets clear and specific learning objectives, or specifications, for the course. These specifications can be broken down into different assignments, quizzes, and/or exams, to create “bundles” for students to complete to achieve certain grade levels. This can allow students to still learn and demonstrate appropriate mastery, even if they chose the “C” or “D” level bundles. Importantly, each specification is graded as either “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory”, thus there is no partial credit or subjective grading, and students must meet all the specifications to earn a specific grade or credit. 

Read more about specifications grading here from Breana Bayraktar  

Portfolio-based grading 

A system wherein students complete work throughout a semester and receive feedback on that work that they can incorporate into future assignments. At the end of the semester, students review their work and generate a collection of it from all of their work in the course, which can then be evaluated by the instructor. This approach emphasizes the process of learning and encourages students to reflect on their progress and growth over time. The portfolio may include a variety of assignments and assessments, allowing students to showcase their strengths and demonstrate their learning in different ways. 

Read more about portfolio-based grading here by Lahmer Mokhtaria 

It is important to note that there is a large degree of overlap between these alternative grading methods, and aspects of them can be mixed and matched to produce a grading system that works for any course, instructor, and students.  

No matter which alternative grading approach you choose, each of these grading methods prioritize the learning process, rather than the product; promote self-reflection and metacognition for students; and increase transparency and clarity around the evaluation process. Students are typically encouraged to revise and resubmit their work to show evidence of learning, much like their professors do when writing journal articles! These methods also heavily rely on feedback, both from instructors and peers, to help jumpstart the learning process and produce more reflective learners.  

 

Where to start?

Feeling overwhelmed? You’re not alone! Revamping your entire grading system is a challenging task and it may take a significant amount of time and effort, both of which are in short supply for faculty. It can also be hard to determine which alternative grading system will work best for you, without experimenting with a few different methods. To start your alternative grading journey, try:  

Shift grades from summative assessments 

Is the majority of your students’ grades computed from summative assessments, such as exams and final papers? A first step towards equitable grading practices can be to shift a substantial portion of a students’ grade to formative assessments, such as homework, problem sets, turning in paper or assignment drafts, and participation and engagement in class. In this manner, you are rewarding the learning process, instead of the just final product, which can reduce some of the negative aspects of traditional grading systems.  

Transparent assignment design 

Try using transparent assignment design for students, where you clarify details about the assignment when it is assigned. The Transparency In Learning & Teaching (TILT) framework suggests providing students with the purpose of the assignment, which includes sharing the learning objectives for the assignment and the skills and knowledge students should gain from completing the assignment; the tasks of the assignment, which define what actions the students should take to complete the assignment; and the criteria for success, which define the characteristics of a good finished product and may include examples and/or rubrics. View the TILT assignment template here, and check out the entire TILT website, which has many examples of transparent assignment design in action.  

 Grade-free zones  

In grade-free zones, there will be a portion of the semester, typically the first half or first third, that is entirely gradeless. Students complete assignments and get feedback on them that they can incorporate as you move into the more traditionally graded portion of the semester. This can allow students the freedom to experiment and get a feel for how the class works prior to engaging in high stakes graded assessments. 

Alternative Grading on Specific Assignments 

You can try out one or two assignments using one (or a combination) of alternative grading methods. For example, you may have a final research project in your course where you test a specifications grading system to see if it works for you and your students. This way, you’re only redesigning one assessment at a time, and can use the process to learn more about what does and doesn’t work in your own specific teaching context.  

Simplified grades 

If you think about it, what is the difference between an 86 and an 88 on a given assignment? How would a student change the 86 into an 88? Would a student receive the same grade from you, if you regraded the assignment? Too many levels (i.e. any number from 0-100) can make grading difficult and opaque because it is too granular. Instead, consider simplifying the grading system. Writing instructor Peter Elbow outlines a simplified grading system that removes some of the levels of the current typical grading system. Elbow grades student work based on three categories: 1) turned in or not; 2) pass or fail; and 3) quality as weak, satisfactory, strong. This simplified grading system gives students more clarity on their work and helps remove some of the traditional grading pressures for instructors.  

Self-assessment/Self-reflections 

Try incorporating short self-assessment assignments for students to reflect on the learning process and how it is working (or not working) for them. By responding to a few prompts, students can assess their own work and learn to improve. You can also try exam/assignment “wrappers” which help students reflect on their preparation and process for exams or assignments. Read more about exam wrappers here.  

Challenges of Alternative Grading Systems

While alternative grading systems have been shown to promote intrinsic motivation, increase student learning, and lessen student and instructor anxiety around grades, there are still some challenges to implementing these systems in every situation.  

Time and effort 

The amount of time and effort that it takes to completely overhaul your grading system is not to be taken lightly! Luckily, we have provided some smaller ways to scaffold this process in the “where to start” section above, that can make the task feel less overwhelming. CTRL is also happy to consult with you to discuss alternative grading in your specific course context and provide helpful suggestions. 

Student acceptance 

While many students appreciate the flexibility inherent in alternative grading systems, it is important to note that these systems are new to the vast majority of students. It is likely that your class will be the first in which students encounter an alternative grading method. Therefore, they may be anxious about this new system, have questions about what to prioritize, and may become unmotivated. They may even ask for grades! This is likely because they are very accustomed to the traditional grading system, having typically been subject to it since kindergarten. To alleviate these concerns, it can be helpful to have a discussion with your students around your rationale behind switching grading systems, including research on the problems with traditional grades. Importantly, students appreciate transparency and clarity around how a novel grading system works, the opportunity to continually ask questions, and perhaps even provide feedback on how to improve the grading system. Overall, the implementation of an alternative grading system should be a conversation between you and your students to ensure the system is working for all!  

Future aspirations for students 

Many believe that students require harsh grading to prepare them for graduate school and the “real world”, however many graduate programs have removed or are removing grades from their curriculums. Medical schools in particular have led the charge for alternative and simplified grading. According to the Association of American Medical College (AAMC) as of 2021, over 80% of medical schools use a simplified pass/fail grading system. Additionally, in the “real world” professionals are not graded as such on their performance, instead supervisors and fellow employees tend to give formative feedback to their colleagues to help them improve their skills in the workplace. Alternative grading systems can therefore help us prepare students for what they will experience in their post-college lives, when they won’t have the extrinsic motivator of a letter grade. 

Ready to take the plunge into alternative grading to promote transparency, intrinsic motivation, and the learning process, but you’d still like more guidance? Unsure if your current grading practices are equitable and promote learning? Reach out to CTRL to request a consultation with one of our Teaching & Learning Specialists to discuss alternative grading methods and specifics in your own teaching context! 

 

Additional Resources and References