Below are my notes from our first in a series of Roundtable Discussions. Please comment with thoughts or questions, and feel free to continue the conversation with any of us who were at the event. Note the date and topic for the next discussion at the bottom of my notes:
PDC Thursday
Roundtables—January 24, 2013:
Topic: "The
Case Against Grades": considerations of how grading and grades
influence the quality of our students' work
Attendees:
Chan Hardwick, Ann
Williams, Mike Eckert, Carl Christianson, Kate Sykes, Jason Beck
Reading:
Alfie Kohn’s “The Case
Against Grades” Click here to download the reading.
Thoughts:
Using Alfie Kohn’s “The
Case Against Grades” as a basis for conversation, we explored the role of
grades in education and specifically discussed how grades impact our approach
to academics at Blair. Given that
college admissions drives a commitment to reportable grading and the sense that
that situation likely won’t change, how can we look at our grading philosophy
and make sure that we are effectively motivating our students to achieve?
Particular questions and
issues that were raised:
- Are rubrics a fair replacement for grades? Or do they have, as Kohn suggests, a similar constricting effect on motivation as grades?
- If we limit the regularity with which we turn to number grades as a communication tool with kids in our classes, can we use individual student conferences to help them understand their performance, progress, and diligence? Could these conferences serve as places for negotiating the actual reported grade with the student? This would seem to fit in with Kohn’s suggestion that we “neuter” the impact of grades on motivation and achievement.
- Carl suggested an alternative grading style/system – JPN/CiI – that has the benefit of focusing on subject mastery and performance on tasks.
- Should Blair explore the model of a grade-free freshman year (or term) as a way to help break the reliance on the numerical grade as the sole evaluation of academic achievement? Would this help focus freshmen on developing academic skills?
- Should we re-visit de-coupling Unlimited Status from grades as a way to help students look at effort and achievement as separate from a strict numerical scale? Is it a fair motivational tool? Or should Unlimited be an educational process – helping kids manage their academic efforts instead of rewarding a specific level of numerical achievement?
Action items:
- Continue the conversation and reading regarding the role of grading and the effectiveness of grading systems.
- Explore a possible trial program of eliminated assignment grading in the History and Art Departments. Replace the process of determining term grades with student conferences.
- Encourage individual teachers to give evaluative feedback on assignments without resorting to the numerical grade as often as possible.
Looking
Ahead: Thursday, February 7th at 7:00 PM in
the Wean Dining Hall.
Topic: Developing a Residential Life Curriculum
Topic: Developing a Residential Life Curriculum
An interesting article. . .
ReplyDeleteI don't give students grades in my spring elective "Self and Society." We talk about learning for the sake of learning as an essential goal of the course. Much of their work is personal and it doesn't feel right for me to assess their personal reflections on a grade-point scale. I write comments -- and the discussion in class also serves to offer feedback. We meet twice a semester to discuss a grade (mid-term/final). I ask each student to grade his/herself and we negotiate what seems right. The conversations are always valuable. I have found that they do my work because it interests them -- but if overwhelmed, my class is often placed at the bottom of their priority list. Given the nature of the course, they usually have enough time to get done what is expected without a negative impact on the learning experience.