Blog Chris Sarkonak Blog Chris Sarkonak

Don’t Count Out the Single Point Rubric

Multi-point rubrics fail students because students learn to get the grade they want with minimum effort. They also discourage risk taking and hinder student agency. Chris Sarkonak explains how the single-point rubric puts students on equal footing, promotes agency, and boosts engagement.

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Blog David Frangiosa Blog David Frangiosa

Communication: The Key to Success

Regardless of whether we care about grades, they are still an obstacle we must address. Going gradeless requires that teachers be especially proactive and open in their communication. In addition to adopting instruction and assessment practices that are accessible and equitable, it is equally important we convey these approaches so they are easily understood by all interested parties.

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Blog Greg Pask Blog Greg Pask

Why I Don’t Give Exams (And What I Use Instead)

As a biology professor who has gone gradeless in favor of a labor-based approach, Greg Pask has moved away from exams entirely. Whether at the introductory or 300 level, he has found that tests don’t support the goals for his classroom. Greg describes the three major problems with closed-note timed exams, and explores alternative approaches that address these specific shortcomings.

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Blog Andrew Burnett Blog Andrew Burnett

No Longer a Data Entry Clerk

Prior to going gradeless, math teacher Andrew Burnett felt like a “data entry clerk posing as a teacher.” Now, he has ditched the data entry in favor of meaningful and timely feedback. This shift has led to greater personal satisfaction and a marked improvement in his students’ ability to understand concepts as well as to retain that understanding.

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Blog Chris Sarkonak Blog Chris Sarkonak

The (Un)grading Spectrum

Ungrading is more of a philosophy than a single model that says “do this and your students will learn.” Chris Sarkonak explores ungrading as a spectrum of possibilities that moves us away from the harmful traditional events-based grading that most of us grew up with.

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Blog Emily Dosmar and Julia Williams Blog Emily Dosmar and Julia Williams

Decentering Authority to Communicate Learning

What happens when we decenter our authority in the classroom? How does such decentering facilitate communicating with our students about their learning? These and other questions led us to try a radical experiment. 

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