Grading for Growth: A Guide to Alternative Grading Practices that Promote Authentic Learning and Student Engagement in Higher Education

The authors of this book offer an effective and authentic approach to grading that encourages revision and growth. Alternative grading focuses on students' eventual level of understanding, leading to more productive discussions and learning. It can be used successfully in any classroom environment, discipline, and institution. The book provides a framework, rationale, examples, and advice for implementing alternative grading practices.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 252 pages
Publication date: 03 July 2023
Publisher: Stylus Publishing

Are you content with your current and conventional grading system? Does it effectively capture your students' learning and progress? Can it be manipulated? Does it foster grade-grubbing and conflict with your students?

The authors of this book, two mathematics professors with input from colleagues across disciplines and institutions, present readers with a fundamentally more effective and authentic approach to grading that they have implemented for over a decade. Recognizing that traditional grading hinders students' learning by depriving them of the formative feedback essential for improvement, the authors offer alternative strategies that promote revision and growth.

Alternative grading focuses on students' eventual understanding rather than their immediate performance. This leads to significant changes: Students take the time to review past failures and learn from them. Conversations shift from "why did I lose a point for this" to productive discussions of content and process.

Alternative grading can be successfully implemented at any level, in any situation, and in any discipline, in classes ranging from seminars to large multi-section lectures. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to alternative grading, beginning with a framework and rationale for implementation and evidence of its effectiveness. The heart of the book includes detailed examples, including variations on Standards-Based Grading, Specifications Grading, and ungrading, of how alternative grading practices are used in various classroom environments, disciplines, and institutions, with a focus on first-hand accounts by faculty who share their practices and experiences. The book includes a workbook chapter that guides readers through a step-by-step process for building a prototype of their own alternatively graded system.

In conclusion, this book offers a valuable resource for educators seeking to enhance their grading practices and promote student learning. By adopting alternative grading strategies, educators can create a more supportive and effective learning environment that fosters revision, growth, and a deeper understanding of content.

Weight: 580g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781642673814