Evaluation of student learning in post-secondary education has a long way to go before it truly is effective, learner-centric and improves student learning.
We are doing a lot of unnecessary and time consuming ranking, rating and giving of numbers and values on student work (done via complex rubrics with vague qualifiers and categories, extensive checklists, subjective interpretations of creative work etc.) – alongside rich verbal and written feedback. The student focuses on the grade, the mark, the number, the ranking – and often ignores the feeback or doesn’t see the connection.
And the research and decades of lived experiences clearly indicate that giving grades/marks/letters on student work doesn’t have any value in the learning process – in fact it hinders it!
Stop giving numbers, letters, grades throughout a course! Focus on the feedback – and not just from you but also from the students, their peers, experts, other instructors etc.
The separating grades (values, numbers, percentages, levels, letters) from feedback (verbal or written comments, directions on where to improve, outlining strengths, suggestions for next steps) is the first step in rethinking how you approach evaluation of your learners.
Once you see this separation and understand how grades (putting a value on learning) doesn’t aid in the learning process! – you’ll want to rethink what you are doing.
Want to learn more?
- Ungrading: Separating Grades from Feedback – PDF Handout
- This handout provides ideas on how to separate grades from feedback and build more student reflection, metacognition and ongoing feedback into the student learning experience.
- Ungrading Webpage on Teach Anywhere (under Practices + Pedagogies): Link
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