CELA 303 — Alternative Grading Practices
What do grades really measure? Is there a more accurate indicator of our students’ skills and abilities? The traditional grading system used in the U.S. is often more a measure of privilege or personality than of learning. It also creates a competitive, chilly course climate that can undermine efforts to build community with students and positions teachers as gatekeepers, as opposed to partners. In this course we will investigate alternative strategies for indicating student learning that is more equitable, more accurate, and more effectively promote student agency and motivation. We will also discuss some simple changes instructors can make to their syllabus policies and course design that can increase grading equity and student engagement with the learning process.