Tip: Join an Alternative Grading Learning Community
Explore alternative grading methods in a collaborative and supportive space with colleagues from a variety of disciplines and institutions.
What is a learning community?
A faculty/professional learning community (FLC or PLC) is a collaborative space where instructors, staff, and graduate students can come together to explore specific themes or issues related to teaching and learning. This collaboration allows participants to share insights, resources, and teaching strategies. Regular meetings (every other week) build community and provide opportunities for reflective practice.
How will this learning community work?
Over the summer, we will meet via Zoom every two weeks to discuss the readings, share ideas and strategies, and reflect on how we might make small (or big!) changes to our own teaching.
Summer Meeting Schedule: Every other Monday evening, starting May 19 and ending July 14, from 7:30-8:30pm, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
What is expected of me?
As part of this learning community, you will be expected to attend all of the meetings, and complete an initial survey, record a brief reflection after each meeting, and complete a final survey at the end. Because community and collaboration are goals of a learning community, there are limited spaces available.
Learning community participants who complete all of the activities will be entered into a drawing for one of ten $50 gift cards*
What is alternative grading?
Alternative grading approaches seek to transform the way we evaluate and respond to student work, shifting the emphasis from traditional measures of performance to fostering learning and recognizing effort. Broadly, these methods of evaluation aim to provide clear expectations while allowing students the space to make errors, acknowledging that mistakes are an integral component of the educational journey. There are many types of alternative grading—ungrading, specs grading, contract grading—and a lot of variation in how instructors implement and communicate the grading scheme they have developed.
To read more…
Thinking about specs grading and more on specs grading
I look forward to engaging in conversation about alternative grading with you this summer!
*to be eligible for one of the gift cards, you must satisfactorily complete two surveys and 5 recorded reflections, in addition to attending all of the learning community meetings