The main point of this post -- that alternative grading benefits instructors -- is so true and so important. I too like and use the analogy that I can spend less time as the referee (or scorekeeper) and more time as the coach. And in terms of encouraging adoption by others, I think the strongest possible pitch we can make is not necessar…
The main point of this post -- that alternative grading benefits instructors -- is so true and so important. I too like and use the analogy that I can spend less time as the referee (or scorekeeper) and more time as the coach. And in terms of encouraging adoption by others, I think the strongest possible pitch we can make is not necessarily "students will learn more this way" but rather "this will make your job more fun!" They go hand in hand, of course, but one has an emotional resonance that the other lacks.
This is an interesting point. I usually *mention* benefits for faculty when I talk about alt-grading, but I don't dwell on it. (Mainly because there are many who want the "hard data".) But I think you are right that the emotional resonance is a way to promote alt-grading that could be more effective.
This is based more on intuition than on empirical experience, but I believe that if you find an instructor who says that they hate grading, or that grading is their least favorite part of the job -- and in either case can articulate why -- then you are in a fantastic position to swoop in and gently say, "What if I told you that this horrible aspect of your job doesn't have to be so horrible?" Let's notice the visceral revulsion they feel, and offer relief!
The main point of this post -- that alternative grading benefits instructors -- is so true and so important. I too like and use the analogy that I can spend less time as the referee (or scorekeeper) and more time as the coach. And in terms of encouraging adoption by others, I think the strongest possible pitch we can make is not necessarily "students will learn more this way" but rather "this will make your job more fun!" They go hand in hand, of course, but one has an emotional resonance that the other lacks.
This is an interesting point. I usually *mention* benefits for faculty when I talk about alt-grading, but I don't dwell on it. (Mainly because there are many who want the "hard data".) But I think you are right that the emotional resonance is a way to promote alt-grading that could be more effective.
This is based more on intuition than on empirical experience, but I believe that if you find an instructor who says that they hate grading, or that grading is their least favorite part of the job -- and in either case can articulate why -- then you are in a fantastic position to swoop in and gently say, "What if I told you that this horrible aspect of your job doesn't have to be so horrible?" Let's notice the visceral revulsion they feel, and offer relief!