Grading Conference Day 3 Preview

The final day of this year’s grading conference promises to make us think and help us find inspiration. The keynote by Jesse Stommel is a program highlight for me as Jesse’s writings and social media presence first introduced me to alternative grading almost a decade ago (as I discussed on the grading podcast). As a long time leader in the development and dissemination of alternative grading approaches, I’m excited to hear his case for why the language we use matters and particularly what it means to approach this work through the lens of “ungrading” and the rich context that comes with using that frame.

Stommel’s introduction will lead in excellently to a panel discussion led by JuliA Metzker about the narrative evaluation process at Evergreen State College, an institution that throughout its 50+ year history has embraced an alternative approach to assessment, and for us to learn from scholars and practitioners across disciplines living and teaching in this system every day. Concurrent with this are a number of presentations that look at ways to expand the scope of alternative grading practices through scaling up for large classes, engaging with broader teaching teams, and preparing the next generation of teachers.

Following the example from Evergreen State College in the 2:15 session, Kimberly Hall, one of the conference co-organizers, will share insights from assessment practices in the arts, drawing on her background without grading as a student (as discussed in Episode 150 of the grading podcast), and how we can take these lessons to think about learning portfolios. Concurrently, attendees can explore different modes of implementation. I’m particularly interested in Arden Ashley-Wurtmann’s discussion about standards-based grading in a 15-day J-term, as my institution has seen rapid growth in our J-term with only 11 instructional days.

The final set of presentations includes some that I am looking forward to most throughout the conference. As an educational developer, I’m intrigued by Melissa Ko and Rachel Weiher’s presentation on approaching alternative grading through small changes. Similarly, as someone very interested in self-determination theory as a framework for understanding alternative grading, I’m really excited for Rosemary Fisher and colleagues to share their approach to developing and entrepreneurial mindset by meeting students’ basic psychological needs. And what better way to wrap up the conference experience and be excited for a quickly approaching new semester than Michelle Abbott’s journey of rediscovering joy through ungrading.

Dan Guberman is the Assistant Director for Student Centered Pedagogy in the Center for Instructional Excellence at Purdue University. He is a member of the organizing team for the Grading Conference.