Alternative grading practices encompass a range of approaches designed to move beyond traditional point-based systems, fostering meaningful learning and growth. These methods reimagine how student progress is assessed, focusing on collaboration, improvement, and deeper engagement with the material. Grading for growth emphasizes ensuring students demonstrate continuous improvement and competency development throughout their learning journey.
These practices also include contract grading, where students commit to specific criteria or tasks to earn a desired grade, and peer assessment, which encourages collaboration as students provide constructive feedback to deepen mutual understanding. Among these innovative approaches, ungrading stands out as a particularly transformative method, removing numerical scores entirely in favor of feedback and self-reflection. By prioritizing student ownership of their learning journey, ungrading opens the door to more meaningful engagement and deeper learning, a concept worth exploring in greater detail.
Ungrading is a fundamental rethinking of how we approach assessment in education. In traditional systems, grades often become the sole focus for students, who might care more about the final score than the learning experience. Ungrading removes this narrow focus, inviting students to engage more meaningfully with course material without the looming pressure of numbers.
Instead of using grades to justify performance, instructors can concentrate on providing meaningful feedback that helps students identify their strengths and areas for improvement. This approach encourages ongoing dialogue and deeper inquiry, transforming assessment into a tool for learning rather than judgment. With ungrading, educators can offer richer, more thoughtful guidance, fostering an environment where students actively engage with feedback to develop their understanding and skills.
Alternative grading practices like ungrading also shifts some responsibility to students, engaging them as active participants in their own learning. Through self-assessment, students learn to evaluate their progress, develop self-awareness, and set meaningful goals. Some instructors encourage peer feedback, adding an additional layer of collaborative learning to the classroom. These practices transform grading from a one-way judgment to a more holistic conversation about growth, making assessment feel less like an imposition and more like a shared endeavor.
The transition to alternative grading practices requires clear communication to manage expectations, as students accustomed to traditional grading may feel uncertain about how to gauge their performance. Additionally, instructors face institutional constraints as college’s still require final grades.
Yet, even within these limitations, alternative grading practices offer opportunities to streamline the grading process and make it more meaningful. Many educators find that alternative grading practices lead to reduced grading stress while creating a classroom environment that encourages genuine intellectual risk-taking and curiosity.
Ultimately, alternative grading practices bring educators and students closer to the true purpose of learning. By embracing non-traditional grading approaches, educators can make assessment a powerful tool for growth rather than a monotonous exercise in scorekeeping. Even small steps toward more formative, feedback-based approaches can lead to a more inspired and less grade-driven educational experience.
Transitioning to ungrading can feel daunting, but taking it step by step can ease the process. Here’s a simplified guide:
- Set Clear Learning Goals
Focus on skills and key understandings rather than grades. Share these goals with students to set clear expectations. - Use Feedback Instead of Grades
Provide detailed feedback on assignments, highlighting strengths and suggesting improvements, with an emphasis on progress. - Encourage Self-Assessment
Have students reflect on their work using clear criteria to build self-awareness, critical thinking, and responsibility for their learning. - Try Contract or Specifications Grading
Set clear benchmarks for assignments. Students meet specific criteria to earn credit, focusing on mastering content instead of earning points. - Promote Ongoing Dialogue
Replace grades with regular check-ins, where students reflect on their progress, set goals, and contribute to their final assessment.
Ungrading offers a powerful alternative to traditional grading systems by prioritizing learning, growth, and meaningful engagement over numerical scores. By focusing on formative feedback, self-reflection, and collaboration, ungrading transforms assessment from a source of stress into a tool for deeper understanding and intellectual curiosity. It encourages students to take ownership of their learning journey, fostering critical thinking and self-awareness in a low-pressure environment. For educators, ungrading provides an opportunity to reconnect with their role as mentors, allowing them to build stronger, more personal connections with students while reducing the burden of excessive grading. While adopting ungrading requires patience and clear communication, even small steps toward feedback-focused practices can create a more dynamic and equitable classroom experience. As part of a broader conversation about alternative grading, ungrading is a valuable approach to consider when reimagining how we assess and support student learning.
Further Learning
Watch this video (4:29) outlining the step-by-step process for implementing ungrading Link
Read more about alternative grading strategies on the NIC Teach Anywhere page Link
Looking Ahead: There will be an Assessment Course Design Workshop (online any 4 days in May /June). For more information contact Natalie Ward @ Natalie.Ward@nic.bc.ca
Want 1:1 support? Contact us in the CTLI.
REFERENCES
- Blum, Susan D. (2020). Ungrading: Why rating students undermines learning (and what to do instead). USA: West Virginia University Press.
- Eyler, Joshua R. (2024). Failing our future: How grades harm students, and what we can do about it. USA: John Hopkins University Press.
- Stommel, J. (2023). Undoing the grade: why we grade, and how to stop. Denver: Hybrid Pedagogy.
Written by Rosemary Vogt in collaboration with Natalie Ward and Rachel Goodliffe
Photo Credit: Pexels, RDNE Stock Project