Ungrading and other Alternative Grading Practices – (simultaneous interpretation in English and French) – January 11
A virtual event – January 11, 2024 12:00-1:30pm – offered with simultaneous interpretation in French and English
60-MINUTE CONFERENCE BY JESSE STOMMEL (U of Denver), FOLLOWED BY A 30-MINUTE HANDS-ON WORKSHOP
Hosted by the Association québécoise de pédagogie collégiale (AQPC)
“Ungrading” means raising an eyebrow at grades as a systemic practice, distinct from simply not grading. The word is a present participle, an ongoing process, not a static set of practices. Too many of our approaches to grades treat students like they’re interchangeable and fail to recognize their complexity. Can we imagine flexible approaches to assessment, pedagogies which center intrinsic more than extrinsic motivation, encouraging and supporting learning, rather than policing behavior? We have to design for the least privileged, most marginalized students, the ones more likely to have felt isolated even before the pandemic: disabled students, chronically-ill students, Black students, Indigenous students, queer students, those facing housing and food-insecurity, etc. We need to write policies, imagine new ways forward, for students already struggling, already facing exclusion. This talk will examine the foundations for our pedagogical approaches, consider the history of grades, examine the bias inherent in many of our standardized systems, and explore methods and approaches for designing assessments that push back against traditional notions of grading.
Webinar Description
Ungrading and other alternative grading practices (AGPs) offer solutions to the problems raised by the Conseil supérieur de l’éducation regarding the evaluation of learning. In particular, AGPs can promote a relationship to error that is more conducive to learning among students. These practices are being adopted more and more widely outside Quebec, but are very marginally implemented in CEGEPs, even though they would lend themselves advantageously to the college context. We will have the opportunity to present you with an overview of the different AGPs and give you concrete suggestions on how to start implementing them, one step at a time.
