What is Ungrading?

Undoing the Grade: Why We Grade and How to Stop - Jesse Stommel - An introduction to ungrading: motivations, and suggestions on how to start

What is Ungrading - Jesse Stommel - An introduction that won't tell you what do do

How to Ungrade - Jesse Stommel - perspectives on ungrading, ideas for alternative assessments
Introducing Ungrading with Dr. Susan Blum | Beyond the Curriculum Podcast | S2.E1
Let’s Talk About Grading with Dr. Laura Gibbs | Beyond the Curriculum Podcast | S2.E2
 

A compilation of resources: http://bit.ly/ungrading

 

Why Stop Grading? (i.e., Why is the practice of grading flawed?)

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Rewards Are Still Bad News (25 Years Later) - Alfie Kohn (2018) - A brief, high-level overview of the problem with using rewards to motivate or alter behavior

The Trouble with Rubrics - Alfie Kohn - This may be a tough read if you are a heavy adopter of rubrics, but the points raised within are essential to consider as we think about facilitating learning and student agency.

From Degrading to De-Grading - Alfie Kohn (1999)- Another essential read about the effects of grading, common concerns with ungrading, and ideas for beginning the change.

The Case Against Grades - Alfie Kohn (2011)- This article reiterates points raised in the above, but also succinctly treats arguments that we could just make grading better.

Why Feedback Often Doesn't Help - Alfie Kohn (2022)
An overview of research related to the demotivating effects of evaluation and feedback (even when positive) followed by a list of tips for beneficial feedback

Less and Less Curious - Alfie Kohn (2024) - The list in this article might stir some ideas about how to foster curiosity in an ungraded (or any) course. The notes have some interesting supportive details

The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation -Alfie Kohn (2002) - A look at the data available about grade inflation and a commentary about the fallacies underpinning the idea that educators should be concerned about this

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What to do instead?

Teaching More by Grading Less (or Differently) - Schinske and Tanner (2014) - A history of grading practices, and review of the rationales behind grading with actionable ideas on how to reduce your emphasis on grading.

Contract Grading and Peer Review with Dr. Christina Katopodis & Dr. Cathy Davidson | S2.E3

If you prefer to read, this blog series has some details on Dr. Davidson’s contract grading

A STEM Ungrading Case Study with Clarissa Sorensen-Unruh | S2.E5

Advocating a new way of grading - 2014 - A news article introducing the method of specifications grading.

See also: Specifications grading: We may have a winner (Robert Talbert) and, if you want to go further into the “how to,” see Part 1 and Part 2.

A Unilateral Grading Contract to Improve Learning and Teaching (2009) Jane Danielewicz and Peter Elbow - One adaptation of the model of contract grading. All students who complete a pre-determined list of activities earn a B, higher grades awarded for high-quality work.

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Ungrading Books