Into the wayback machine
On Memorial Day, a look back at what we were up to in 2022
Today is Memorial Day in the US, and we’re taking the week off. In the spirit of the holiday, let’s take a look back at what we were thinking and writing about here, three years ago in April and May of 2022.
For context, David and I launched this Substack in July 2021 for the purpose of workshopping ideas for the Grading For Growth book — which at the time of this writing is still 20% off at the Routledge website, by the way. We submitted the manuscript for the book in September 2022, so in April and May of that year, we were starting to zero in on the main ideas and message of the book while still working out the kinks. Here are some of the posts from that period.
Here, David wrote about a basic and important issue — how do you know when a student has met a standard? It seems like a simple question but as David points out, there’s more to it than meets the eye.
What does it mean to meet a standard?
I’m taking a short break from case studies to follow up on an important idea. Watch for more case studies in a few weeks!
One week later, I posted this article which seems to be linked in about half of all the other posts on this blog. It’s all about the fourth and arguably most important pillar of alternative grading.
The heart of the loop: Reattempts without penalty
This post is the final installment in a series on the Four Pillars of Alternative Grading. The first post focused on Clearly Defined Standards, the second one on Helpful Feedback, and the third one on Marks Indicate Progress. The final one is in some ways the most important, and the most controversial:
I also contributed this article which is probably one of my favorite topics in this space: The statistically invalid methodology of traditional number grades. I include the basics of this article in talks I give on alternative grading and it never fails to be provocative.
When is a number not a number?
The traditional practice of using points for grades on assignments has lots of problems. You will find those problems at least partially addressed in almost every post at this blog. They include:
In May, David gave us this article packed with wisdom about fundamental “why” issues to keep in mind when doing alternative grading:
Principles
It doesn’t matter how well organized and carefully crafted your assessment system is: Inevitably, something will happen that you didn’t plan for. A student needs an accommodation, and you have no policy to handle it. Well-intentioned requirements are unintentionally blocking a student’s progress. Something just seems
Finally, we weren’t doing guest posts at this point in the blog, but we had two great case studies that eventually made their way into the book:
Case Study: SBG in a large class -- Jennifer Momsen's introductory Biology
This week, we’re back with another case study from our upcoming book, “Grading for Growth.” This case study is one answer to a common question: How can I use alternative grading in a big class?
Case Study: Dustin Locke's "Levels System" in a writing-intensive Philosophy class
This week, we’re back with another case study from our upcoming book, Grading for Growth. Today, we feature a writing-intensive Philosophy class that uses a unique variation on specifications grading.
Speaking of guest posts — have you ever thought about contributing a guest post to Grading For Growth? If you do any form or amount of alternative grading and have an interesting experience or viewpoint to share, we’d love to hear about it and possibly turn it into a guest post. Just click this link to fill out a short form with your idea and contact information:
David and I wish all of you a happy Memorial Day if you’re celebrating and a great week even if you aren’t. We’ll see you next week!