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Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead)
The moment is right for critical reflection on what has been assumed to be a core part of schooling. In Ungrading , fifteen educators write about their diverse experiences going gradeless. Some contributors are new to the practice and some have been engaging in it for decades. Some are in humanities and social sciences, some in STEM fields. Some are in higher education, but some are the K–12 pioneers who led the way. Based on rigorous and replicated research, this is the first book to show why and how faculty who wish to focus on learning, rather than sorting or judging, might proceed. It includes honest reflection on what makes ungrading challenging, and testimonials about what makes it transformative. CONTRIBUTORS:
Aaron Blackwelder
Susan D. Blum
Arthur Chiaravalli
Gary Chu
Cathy N. Davidson
Laura Gibbs
Christina Katopodis
Joy Kirr
Alfie Kohn
Christopher Riesbeck
Starr Sackstein
Marcus Schultz-Bergin
Clarissa Sorensen-Unruh
Jesse Stommel
John Warner
Aaron Blackwelder
Susan D. Blum
Arthur Chiaravalli
Gary Chu
Cathy N. Davidson
Laura Gibbs
Christina Katopodis
Joy Kirr
Alfie Kohn
Christopher Riesbeck
Starr Sackstein
Marcus Schultz-Bergin
Clarissa Sorensen-Unruh
Jesse Stommel
John Warner
269 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2020
177 people are currently reading
1878 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
May 22, 2021
In general I liked this book and want to try out some of what the authors wrote about. I am still a bit of a skeptic. Most of the authors wrote mostly on the philosophy of upgrading and the detriment of a traditional grading system which I was completely on board for. Few however delved far into the "what ifs?" What do these systems look like in a sequential course where a student tries but fails and needs to repeat so they're prepared for the next level? What is the solution for students who don't want to be in the class or learn the content? I like the philosophy and idea of it but would like some more concrete stories and information about what day to day life in the classroom is like. Many of the authors seemed focused on presenting a rosy picture of their philosophy rather than a nuts and bolts description of their practices which is what would have been more convincing to me.
July 14, 2022
Grading is the worst part of teaching, and for those of you who don't teach, when I say "grading," I don't mean reading and commenting on my students' work. That can be interesting and useful and entertaining. I'm talking about the part where you have to decide whether that interesting writing is, like, a 90% or more of an 88%, and how will that show up in the gradebook and what will that do the student's overall grade and what are their parents expecting from them (you) and how will this impact the way they come into the room tomorrow and how will this impact your overall relationship with them. Now do that again and again 125 times.
AND GRADES AREN'T REAL. We act like they're a natural element of the planet earth. But they're not. A B+ in my room doesn't mean the same thing as it does in other English teachers' classes -- let alone history or, like, science classes. As Susan D. Blum puts it, "Is a student who enters already knowing a lot, continues to demonstrate knowledge at a high level, misses an assignment because of a roommate's attempted suicide, and ends up with a B+ the same as someone who begins knowing nothing, works really hard, follows all the rules, does quite well, and ends up with a B+?" (55). Like, what does the grade MEAN? What information is conveyed?
At the beginning of this last school year, I started reading Pointless by Sarah Zerwin, and I felt ✨ready to go.✨ I set up coaching appointments with two teachers at my school who didn't grade individual assignments. I started drafting a letter to student families. I figured I would start second semester after my juniors already trusted me and would buy-in.
And then life happened and I never finished Pointless and I didn't change a thing and it's July and I still feel guilt over a kid that didn't pass my class two months ago.
But I also have more time to think about all of these things, so my summer wheels are turning.
AND GRADES AREN'T REAL. We act like they're a natural element of the planet earth. But they're not. A B+ in my room doesn't mean the same thing as it does in other English teachers' classes -- let alone history or, like, science classes. As Susan D. Blum puts it, "Is a student who enters already knowing a lot, continues to demonstrate knowledge at a high level, misses an assignment because of a roommate's attempted suicide, and ends up with a B+ the same as someone who begins knowing nothing, works really hard, follows all the rules, does quite well, and ends up with a B+?" (55). Like, what does the grade MEAN? What information is conveyed?
At the beginning of this last school year, I started reading Pointless by Sarah Zerwin, and I felt ✨ready to go.✨ I set up coaching appointments with two teachers at my school who didn't grade individual assignments. I started drafting a letter to student families. I figured I would start second semester after my juniors already trusted me and would buy-in.
And then life happened and I never finished Pointless and I didn't change a thing and it's July and I still feel guilt over a kid that didn't pass my class two months ago.
But I also have more time to think about all of these things, so my summer wheels are turning.
February 18, 2024
My senior year of high school, I attended an innovative program: the Center for Self-directed Learning. We had no grades or organized classes, although faculty or students could create learning groups. Our only restriction was that somehow we needed to meet our state's graduation requirements. I remember attending groups on speculative fiction and radical movements in the US, respectively meeting my English and History requirements, as well as a more formal Mathematics course. This was one of the most powerful experiences in my educational career. I went from being a marginal (bright) student, contemplating not going to college, to one who gobbled down books, courses, and ideas.
What made the difference? I think it was moving from extrinsic motivators and goals to more intrinsic ones. When I returned to a graded, typical curriculum in college, I arrived with a different mindset and, quoting Robert Frost, "that has made all the difference."
I don't use ungrading in my own teaching, although I have taken tiny baby steps in that direction across time. I have taught between 60 and 140 students a semester – while doing all sorts of other job-related tasks (e.g., writing, service, advising, admin). I don't really think I can pull off ungrading well under such a system, one where I rarely feel that I can put my feet up and contemplate where I'm going. Still, reading Ungrading gets me thinking about what strategies I can adopt to offer my students greater control, choice, autonomy, and intrinsic motivation. I'm not just teaching content; I want to help my students learn how to learn, to learn how to approach learning and life with passion. Alfie Kohn's foreword and Joy Kirr's and John Warner's chapters and were especially exciting and got me thinking about how I could take bigger steps in this direction.
* * *
I listened to about 40% of Ungrading, complaining most of the time. Kohn narrated his wonderful foreword, but the other narrators sounded arrogant or like AI-generated speech. I'm glad that I had access to a print copy or I would have tossed Ungrading aside. That would have been a pity.
What made the difference? I think it was moving from extrinsic motivators and goals to more intrinsic ones. When I returned to a graded, typical curriculum in college, I arrived with a different mindset and, quoting Robert Frost, "that has made all the difference."
I don't use ungrading in my own teaching, although I have taken tiny baby steps in that direction across time. I have taught between 60 and 140 students a semester – while doing all sorts of other job-related tasks (e.g., writing, service, advising, admin). I don't really think I can pull off ungrading well under such a system, one where I rarely feel that I can put my feet up and contemplate where I'm going. Still, reading Ungrading gets me thinking about what strategies I can adopt to offer my students greater control, choice, autonomy, and intrinsic motivation. I'm not just teaching content; I want to help my students learn how to learn, to learn how to approach learning and life with passion. Alfie Kohn's foreword and Joy Kirr's and John Warner's chapters and were especially exciting and got me thinking about how I could take bigger steps in this direction.
* * *
I listened to about 40% of Ungrading, complaining most of the time. Kohn narrated his wonderful foreword, but the other narrators sounded arrogant or like AI-generated speech. I'm glad that I had access to a print copy or I would have tossed Ungrading aside. That would have been a pity.
November 26, 2020
I've re-discovered my people! Seeing the variety of educational settings where people are teaching without grades reminded me of what I loved about teaching and why I am now so frustrated because I was drawn back into a system of grading. Reading about these experiences and considering the examples has me energized to return to the way I teach most effectively. I have not been so excited to restructure my courses in a very long time! Thank you for sharing your experiences!
June 10, 2022
I really appreciate getting to think in a more formal way about grades and assessment. The strength of the book is the diversity of perspectives. There’s a little bit of everything. However that is also it’s weakness. It’s a bit all over and I think could have benefited from more cohesion. It became clear to me as I read that the authors had different contexts, valued or devalued different aspects of education, and had varied assumptions about grades themselves These were often not acknowledged as underLying assumptions and the authors occasionally came across as patronizing. I don’t know that I would recommend for readers unfamiliar with the topic.
August 1, 2024
Every educator, and everyone pursuing a career in education, should read this.
Ungrading is a concept I was already familiar with, as I attended a Montessori school up through eighth grade and so has no grades/tests/homework during that time. In my own personal experience, I learned much better in an environment where intrinsic motivation was what drove learning.
This book begins with a very compelling argument for how our education system’s focus on grading actually hinders learning. I won’t restate every point made (otherwise we’d be here all day, there’s a lot of good ones!), but the detail I found most interesting was that students are more likely to improve on their essays when they are provided with feedback alone compared to when they are provided with feedback and a grade. Grading can put students into a fixed mindset, but taking a course should be about growth.
The format of this book starts with a few chapters about why Ungrading improves learning, then switches to different teacher and professor testimonies about using Ungrading in their classrooms. The catch was, for most of these professors, they were still at institutions that required them to input final grades. So it wasn’t really stories about how ungraded classrooms can work in higher education, and more so stories about how to approximate Ungrading at a graded institution. Still, I appreciated the techniques different instructors used to switch the focus of the class from grades towards learning.
Ungrading is a concept I was already familiar with, as I attended a Montessori school up through eighth grade and so has no grades/tests/homework during that time. In my own personal experience, I learned much better in an environment where intrinsic motivation was what drove learning.
This book begins with a very compelling argument for how our education system’s focus on grading actually hinders learning. I won’t restate every point made (otherwise we’d be here all day, there’s a lot of good ones!), but the detail I found most interesting was that students are more likely to improve on their essays when they are provided with feedback alone compared to when they are provided with feedback and a grade. Grading can put students into a fixed mindset, but taking a course should be about growth.
The format of this book starts with a few chapters about why Ungrading improves learning, then switches to different teacher and professor testimonies about using Ungrading in their classrooms. The catch was, for most of these professors, they were still at institutions that required them to input final grades. So it wasn’t really stories about how ungraded classrooms can work in higher education, and more so stories about how to approximate Ungrading at a graded institution. Still, I appreciated the techniques different instructors used to switch the focus of the class from grades towards learning.
October 28, 2024
I wish you could just go to and say you don’t want to do grades anymore but that’s just not going to fly in a public high school. They do a good job of breaking down how and why it works, but not ways to convince admin it’s a good idea. 4 stars even
January 8, 2021
This collection of essays about the ways in which K12 and higher ed instructors have incorporated principles of ungrading into their courses is nothing short of revolutionary. It centers our focus -- as it should be -- on student learning. Traditional systems of assessment/grading often work really well ... at DEmotivating students and stifling learning; these ungrading methods reverse those trends and help faculty create engaged, enthusiastic, learning-centered classrooms.
Frankly, I had always felt more than a little bit uncomfortable when I heard colleagues talking about "ungrading," because I couldn't fathom how students could possibly be trusted to account for their own learning. At the same time, I walked around convinced that I was the rare instructor who empowered students and trusted them to do the right thing. This book shed light on my own cognitive dissonance for what it is -- fear.
It was Jesse Stommel's chapter, and in particular this sentence, that really forced me to change my perspective and dive into this book with an open mind: "I've long argued that education should be about encouraging and rewarding not knowing more than knowing." (p. 32) My copy of the book has this sentence highlighted, with the margin note: "O. M. G." Thank you, Jesse.
Frankly, I had always felt more than a little bit uncomfortable when I heard colleagues talking about "ungrading," because I couldn't fathom how students could possibly be trusted to account for their own learning. At the same time, I walked around convinced that I was the rare instructor who empowered students and trusted them to do the right thing. This book shed light on my own cognitive dissonance for what it is -- fear.
It was Jesse Stommel's chapter, and in particular this sentence, that really forced me to change my perspective and dive into this book with an open mind: "I've long argued that education should be about encouraging and rewarding not knowing more than knowing." (p. 32) My copy of the book has this sentence highlighted, with the margin note: "O. M. G." Thank you, Jesse.
July 12, 2024
“Ungrading” edited by Susan D. Blum
What is the purpose of a grade? Can it show a student how to improve their work? Does it offer objective assessment of learning interpreted universally? Does it build a relationship between instructor and student? Does it have a function beyond punishment and reward? What is the purpose of a grade? And what does a class without grading look like? These are the central questions explored by this excellent collection of essays on the practice of “Ungrading,” a deliberate turn to a more critical pedagogical take on assessment and feedback at both the secondary and post-secondary levels.
I really appreciated this book for reasons related to my personal pedagogical considerations. I have always wanted to be a more critical teaching and have done my best to imbue my teaching pedagogy with principles of accessibility, diversity, and inclusivity. But in many important ways, I clung to control in the classroom in a way that I recognize resulted in a clash between the teacher I wanted to be and the teacher I felt comfortable being. Grades were a particular sticking point for me, the tension between not wanting grades to get in the way of students taking risks and being creative, but also feeling as though all learning in the class would cease if I removed grading from any assignment. Grades felt like the carrot to learning, the only thing that would motivate students to learn. “Ungrading” has made me reconsider this position. Yes, grading may be the carrot. But is the carrot for learning? Is the carrot for critical thinking? Or is the carrot just to follow instructions? To complete a task within defined parameters? The more I reflect, the more I question whether grades have anything to do with learning.
I picked up this book because at the end of my spring semester I was having a lot of doubts about my grading practices and the assignments associated with them. “Ungrading” helped me recognize that I wasn’t necessarily wrong for how I did things, that I was trapped in a grading cycle like so many teachers before me. But it also showed me some principles for how this could look different, how “Ungrading” might just be a possibility.
I haven’t spent much time talking about the writing style of this book for two reasons. 1) It is hard to assess a book of edited essays due to all of the different authors and points of view. 2) These are essays on pedagogy; they aren’t going to read like creative nonfiction for the most part. I will say I found all of these to be very accessible; they are not dense collections of pedagogical theory, which I consider to be a big thumbs up.
All in all, I think this is a five star read. It’s thought-provoking, well-argued, and well worth a read for teachers. It’s not going to change everyone’s pedagogy. That’s ok. I think though that it offers an important test, a challenge of our pedagogical practices, so that we walk away with stronger arguments about how our practice centers student learning as opposed to the simple act of task completion.
What is the purpose of a grade? Can it show a student how to improve their work? Does it offer objective assessment of learning interpreted universally? Does it build a relationship between instructor and student? Does it have a function beyond punishment and reward? What is the purpose of a grade? And what does a class without grading look like? These are the central questions explored by this excellent collection of essays on the practice of “Ungrading,” a deliberate turn to a more critical pedagogical take on assessment and feedback at both the secondary and post-secondary levels.
I really appreciated this book for reasons related to my personal pedagogical considerations. I have always wanted to be a more critical teaching and have done my best to imbue my teaching pedagogy with principles of accessibility, diversity, and inclusivity. But in many important ways, I clung to control in the classroom in a way that I recognize resulted in a clash between the teacher I wanted to be and the teacher I felt comfortable being. Grades were a particular sticking point for me, the tension between not wanting grades to get in the way of students taking risks and being creative, but also feeling as though all learning in the class would cease if I removed grading from any assignment. Grades felt like the carrot to learning, the only thing that would motivate students to learn. “Ungrading” has made me reconsider this position. Yes, grading may be the carrot. But is the carrot for learning? Is the carrot for critical thinking? Or is the carrot just to follow instructions? To complete a task within defined parameters? The more I reflect, the more I question whether grades have anything to do with learning.
I picked up this book because at the end of my spring semester I was having a lot of doubts about my grading practices and the assignments associated with them. “Ungrading” helped me recognize that I wasn’t necessarily wrong for how I did things, that I was trapped in a grading cycle like so many teachers before me. But it also showed me some principles for how this could look different, how “Ungrading” might just be a possibility.
I haven’t spent much time talking about the writing style of this book for two reasons. 1) It is hard to assess a book of edited essays due to all of the different authors and points of view. 2) These are essays on pedagogy; they aren’t going to read like creative nonfiction for the most part. I will say I found all of these to be very accessible; they are not dense collections of pedagogical theory, which I consider to be a big thumbs up.
All in all, I think this is a five star read. It’s thought-provoking, well-argued, and well worth a read for teachers. It’s not going to change everyone’s pedagogy. That’s ok. I think though that it offers an important test, a challenge of our pedagogical practices, so that we walk away with stronger arguments about how our practice centers student learning as opposed to the simple act of task completion.
March 9, 2022
I'm just dipping my feet into the idea of changing the way I grade and assess my students, and this was a great starting point. At this juncture, it is the only point I have, though, so my opinion is apt to change.
This book is a collection of essays by various educators from seventh grade (I think that was the lowest in the age range of students) through university graduate students. There were lots of things that I can see myself using in class immediately, but mostly I see the value of this book as a slew of ideas worth pondering.
I am definitely going to have to think carefully about how I would implement this in my classes. At this point in their education (mostly juniors in high school for me) the grading system is so ingrained that taking that out completely without a lot of pondering on my part would be disastrous. I was met with incredulity and nervous laughter for just floating the idea to students of doing away with grades and what that would look like. 'There's no way I would do something I wasn't being graded on' was a fairly typical response.
We'll see!
This book is a collection of essays by various educators from seventh grade (I think that was the lowest in the age range of students) through university graduate students. There were lots of things that I can see myself using in class immediately, but mostly I see the value of this book as a slew of ideas worth pondering.
I am definitely going to have to think carefully about how I would implement this in my classes. At this point in their education (mostly juniors in high school for me) the grading system is so ingrained that taking that out completely without a lot of pondering on my part would be disastrous. I was met with incredulity and nervous laughter for just floating the idea to students of doing away with grades and what that would look like. 'There's no way I would do something I wasn't being graded on' was a fairly typical response.
We'll see!
July 28, 2024
An excellent read about the research behind and problems with grading learning. I was sold on the idea before I read this book, to be fully transparent, but did walk away feeling as a secondary teacher that there could have been more secondary voices in how to ungrade. It seemed like most of the anecdotes were from college professors where I feel it's easier to do your own thing in your classroom. Secondary teachers, however, are more restricted when secondary students need the right grades to get into college, because that's what colleges and universities still use to select students. Until that changes (and I hope it does in the post-COVID education landscape), then I don't see myself being able to do more beyond opening up the conversation about the meaning of grades and giving students more agency over them.
To that end, I did find this takeaway helpful: "Alfie Kohn states that when we work in an unjust system, we have to proceed at two levels at once: 'You do what you can within the confines of the current structure, trying to minimize its harm. You also work with others to try to change that structure, conscious that nothing dramatic may happen for a very long time' (Kohn, 206). The essence in the meantime, waiting for grades to disappear, is that 'teachers and parents who care about learning need to do everything in their power to help students forget that grades exist.' This does require a revolution, but it also requires daily action." (p. 227)
To that end, I did find this takeaway helpful: "Alfie Kohn states that when we work in an unjust system, we have to proceed at two levels at once: 'You do what you can within the confines of the current structure, trying to minimize its harm. You also work with others to try to change that structure, conscious that nothing dramatic may happen for a very long time' (Kohn, 206). The essence in the meantime, waiting for grades to disappear, is that 'teachers and parents who care about learning need to do everything in their power to help students forget that grades exist.' This does require a revolution, but it also requires daily action." (p. 227)
June 30, 2022
This is a life-altering book, or a career-changing book, or a paradigm-shifting book. I attended a professional conference for educators where it was mentioned in a session on equitable grading practices, and one of the other conference participants talked a bit about her experience after a year of using practices she developed for her own courses from the resources in this.
It blew me away, totally recommended reading for literally every teacher.
It blew me away, totally recommended reading for literally every teacher.
August 29, 2021
A must read for educators, parents/guardians, students, policymakers, and truthfully anyone who is actually invested in learning and education in any capacity.
February 19, 2023
I'm super glad I've read this book. It's been on my bookshelf for several years and I've never read it even though I write about this topic. I would give this book five stars but it doesn't seem to account for students with disabilities until like the last page and even there they're lumped in.
I'm having my students read the third chapter in the foundation section and we're going to have a discussion on grades and learning very soon.
Here are some chapters that stand out to me chapter 3 by Susan Blum chapter 4 by Starr Sackstein, I think chapter 9 by Clarissa Sorensen Unruh, all the chapters in the reflections section including the most excellent chapter in that section, chapter 13 by John Warner, and Blum's conclusion.
I've opened the door to my students to talk about potentially changing the syllabus and the grading policy in this class. I don't know if any of them will want to do this but, I do. I am convinced that grades do not measure learning and I really am interested in student learning. I have one student that emails me nearly every class day to tell me he wants to do well in the class and what he means is that he wants a good grade. It doesn't seem like he cares about learning at all. I'm over the grading part, I want to facilitate learning and if I don't get to do that, I don't think I want to do this at all.
Finally the irony of reading this book on a scale of five, essentially giving it a grade, is not lost on me.
I'm having my students read the third chapter in the foundation section and we're going to have a discussion on grades and learning very soon.
Here are some chapters that stand out to me chapter 3 by Susan Blum chapter 4 by Starr Sackstein, I think chapter 9 by Clarissa Sorensen Unruh, all the chapters in the reflections section including the most excellent chapter in that section, chapter 13 by John Warner, and Blum's conclusion.
I've opened the door to my students to talk about potentially changing the syllabus and the grading policy in this class. I don't know if any of them will want to do this but, I do. I am convinced that grades do not measure learning and I really am interested in student learning. I have one student that emails me nearly every class day to tell me he wants to do well in the class and what he means is that he wants a good grade. It doesn't seem like he cares about learning at all. I'm over the grading part, I want to facilitate learning and if I don't get to do that, I don't think I want to do this at all.
Finally the irony of reading this book on a scale of five, essentially giving it a grade, is not lost on me.
June 12, 2021
Great read! Reviews the history of grading and why grades are so problematic, as well as numerous examples of how to use ungrading in a variety of disciplines and K-12, plus college. I’m going to give it a whirl this summer and see what I and the students think.
June 4, 2023
Most of the book was about the “why” even though it was divided into 3 parts: Foundations, Practices, Reflections. Every “chapter” is actually a separate teacher’s account of their personal experience with ungrading, and it felt extremely repetitive as each chapter started with each teacher’s personal “why.” I get it, I’ve read the research, let’s please move on to the implementation part of it, which is only touched on partially in the “practices” section. I did get a lot of good tips for creating my own personal implementation in the future, though. I would have preferred way more concrete examples, however.
June 1, 2022
I love the idea of "ungrading." I have implemented in one class and plan to implement it from now on.
Ungrading is a collection of essays by teachers who have tried some form of ungrading. I appreciated the varied perspectives, but I found most fell short of what I was looking for in the book. Each gave a taste of what the teacher did to ungrade, but many lacked specific details that would help someone actually implement it. Other essays felt written too early in a teacher's ungrading journey...several contributors had only tried ungrading once and needed another year of ungrading experience to hear more about their adaptations to the process. One contribution was an incomplete series of blog posts that just ended without much resolution.
That all being said, I think this book works well as an introduction to understanding where all of the unrest surrounding grades comes from and what some teachers are doing to push against the system and promote learning over grades. I recommend it for anyone who wants to figure out what this movement is all about or to brainstorm ideas of how to implement it.
However, if I were to recommend one book on progressive grading, it would be Point-less by Sarah Zerwin. She goes pretty in-depth into a system of ungrading (or "point-less" grading) that worked really well for me in one of my classes. She's an ELA teacher, so her book is focused on that subject area, but her husband Paul Strode has a lengthy blog post about how to go gradeless in a science class.
Whatever book you read on this topic, good luck in your journey to de-emphasize grades and promote learning!
Ungrading is a collection of essays by teachers who have tried some form of ungrading. I appreciated the varied perspectives, but I found most fell short of what I was looking for in the book. Each gave a taste of what the teacher did to ungrade, but many lacked specific details that would help someone actually implement it. Other essays felt written too early in a teacher's ungrading journey...several contributors had only tried ungrading once and needed another year of ungrading experience to hear more about their adaptations to the process. One contribution was an incomplete series of blog posts that just ended without much resolution.
That all being said, I think this book works well as an introduction to understanding where all of the unrest surrounding grades comes from and what some teachers are doing to push against the system and promote learning over grades. I recommend it for anyone who wants to figure out what this movement is all about or to brainstorm ideas of how to implement it.
However, if I were to recommend one book on progressive grading, it would be Point-less by Sarah Zerwin. She goes pretty in-depth into a system of ungrading (or "point-less" grading) that worked really well for me in one of my classes. She's an ELA teacher, so her book is focused on that subject area, but her husband Paul Strode has a lengthy blog post about how to go gradeless in a science class.
Whatever book you read on this topic, good luck in your journey to de-emphasize grades and promote learning!
May 14, 2021
I would give this book a 4.5 ⭐️ if I could, because I loved this book and it gave me much to think about as a teacher; however, I wish there would have been more examples from performing arts teachers (art, music, and p.e). I feel like they were overlooked for the more traditional gen Ed classes.
I do see myself implementing many of the strategies discussed in the book - it makes so much sense as an art teacher to do away with traditional grades. I already utilize feedback in most (if not all) of my assignments. I check in with my kids frequently and the have sketchbooks as a way of documenting progress and acts kind of like a portfolio of sorts, but I want to lean into it even more next year.
This book made me question so many aspects of our education system and challenged me to look into other forms of assessment. I also purchased more books that were recommended readings in the book to further bolster this idea further in my career.
Every teacher should read this and reflect on what role grades have in their classrooms and evaluate their effectiveness in gauging the true level of learning that is occurring/not occurring.
I do see myself implementing many of the strategies discussed in the book - it makes so much sense as an art teacher to do away with traditional grades. I already utilize feedback in most (if not all) of my assignments. I check in with my kids frequently and the have sketchbooks as a way of documenting progress and acts kind of like a portfolio of sorts, but I want to lean into it even more next year.
This book made me question so many aspects of our education system and challenged me to look into other forms of assessment. I also purchased more books that were recommended readings in the book to further bolster this idea further in my career.
Every teacher should read this and reflect on what role grades have in their classrooms and evaluate their effectiveness in gauging the true level of learning that is occurring/not occurring.
December 3, 2022
I am convinced by the evidence that grading causes problems (it's not objective, it demotivates students, it doesn't truly measure learning--it doesn't account for the student who comes into the course writing A material and learns nothing or for the student who comes into the course writing F material and improves to a D, and a whole host of other issues).
I am not necessarily convinced that dispensing with grades solves those problems.
This book certainly gives me a great deal to think about and some good idea for how to adjust self- and peer-assessment exercises; I am all about the metacognition in my classes.
I am not necessarily convinced that dispensing with grades solves those problems.
This book certainly gives me a great deal to think about and some good idea for how to adjust self- and peer-assessment exercises; I am all about the metacognition in my classes.
January 11, 2021
As a PhD student trying to rethink how I grade the course I teach, I really loved this book. It provided practical advice/suggestions/ideas without being prescriptive, and it is so reassuring to know that I’m not going through these struggles alone. I appreciated that all of the contributors shared both the positives and negatives in such a sincere way. It made me feel inspired by their successes without making me feel inadequate about my own struggles while implementing some of these strategies.
December 15, 2024
I received a free copy of this book while attending a pedagogical workshop at the American Chemical Society. The book's basic premise—that students learn less when they, and their teachers, are distracted by receiving and assigning grades—is, on reflection, reasonable. Think of how Ph.D. students are educated. They are, arguably, the people in whom the University has the most concentrated interest in educating and, after their first year or so, they learn entirely through one-on-one interactions with faculty and detailed feedback on their research progress, writing, and presentations. This volume argues through thirteen essays by different college and K-12 teachers: if it is good enough for Ph.D. students, why isn't it good enough for all students?
Nearly all of the contributors say their experiences with removing grades (with "ungrading") have occurred in classes with enrollments in the dozens, at most. In principle, I like the ideas of setting grades through conferences with students, of giving detailed feedback divorced from the assignment of points, and of meeting students where they are in terms of interest. I do this with my graduate students. But, I also teach a junior-level undergraduate physical-chemistry course with 100 students, primarily with pre-medical interests. What this book does not answer is how I can scale these methods up to that many students and how I can rely on their intrinsic motivation when some of them misguidedly view the course (and all of their quantitative courses) as an obstacle to be overcome on the way to their idealized vision of medicine as a qualitative art.
I recommend the book as a means to provoke thought in all educators about the role grades play in their teaching, but not necessarily as a manual for how to make changes.
Nearly all of the contributors say their experiences with removing grades (with "ungrading") have occurred in classes with enrollments in the dozens, at most. In principle, I like the ideas of setting grades through conferences with students, of giving detailed feedback divorced from the assignment of points, and of meeting students where they are in terms of interest. I do this with my graduate students. But, I also teach a junior-level undergraduate physical-chemistry course with 100 students, primarily with pre-medical interests. What this book does not answer is how I can scale these methods up to that many students and how I can rely on their intrinsic motivation when some of them misguidedly view the course (and all of their quantitative courses) as an obstacle to be overcome on the way to their idealized vision of medicine as a qualitative art.
I recommend the book as a means to provoke thought in all educators about the role grades play in their teaching, but not necessarily as a manual for how to make changes.
January 7, 2022
I was already familiar with a lot of the practices and principles in this book (I've been following Jesse Stommel on Twitter for a while, for example), but having a lot of the research and examples in one place was really helpful!
Frankly, one of the biggest takeaways for me are the ones that have apparently been known for DECADES - that just feedback, no grades has better learning outcomes; grades are a known detriment to authentic learning (thanks, cognition!); and so on.
I'm still having a fight within mysellf about some things - will students do the work if there's no marks attached? is a smaller challenge, but the biggest one is my tension with being an expert. Although I appreciate the framing of learning together and students applying metacognition to their own work, I don't know that I'm ready to say "yes student, evaluate your own work and tell me what mark you deserve" because frankly, based on what I see in my classrooms...some just don't have the knowledge or skills to do so.
BUT, is that also based on me creating an antagonistic grade-atmosphere in my class and not teaching metacognition / self-reflection / evaluation / engagement?! It's almost definitely part of it!
So, if you want to read a bunch of accessible pieces, largely free of jargon, about removing the negative aspects of grades as much possible, I highly recommend! It also doesn't have to be all-or-nothing (though some writers expressed frustration that they didn't go all in, since halfway was harder).
Recommended for any / all teachers (including in the sciences - there are pieces in here about chem, math, and compsci, not just humanities/writing classes!)
Frankly, one of the biggest takeaways for me are the ones that have apparently been known for DECADES - that just feedback, no grades has better learning outcomes; grades are a known detriment to authentic learning (thanks, cognition!); and so on.
I'm still having a fight within mysellf about some things - will students do the work if there's no marks attached? is a smaller challenge, but the biggest one is my tension with being an expert. Although I appreciate the framing of learning together and students applying metacognition to their own work, I don't know that I'm ready to say "yes student, evaluate your own work and tell me what mark you deserve" because frankly, based on what I see in my classrooms...some just don't have the knowledge or skills to do so.
BUT, is that also based on me creating an antagonistic grade-atmosphere in my class and not teaching metacognition / self-reflection / evaluation / engagement?! It's almost definitely part of it!
So, if you want to read a bunch of accessible pieces, largely free of jargon, about removing the negative aspects of grades as much possible, I highly recommend! It also doesn't have to be all-or-nothing (though some writers expressed frustration that they didn't go all in, since halfway was harder).
Recommended for any / all teachers (including in the sciences - there are pieces in here about chem, math, and compsci, not just humanities/writing classes!)
January 25, 2022
Are grades the death of education? The authors of the pieces collected in this book believe they are. What should we do about it? Ungrade! Which means adopting new ways of working with students to cultivate their learning and provide feedback that motivates improvement. Not to worry--you need not reinvent the wheel. Many people have been working at it, or rather at various wheels suited to K-12 and undergraduate classrooms, in math, coding, philosophy, and writing.
The book starts with several chapters in which the authors tell you why grading is bad and life is better since they dropped the habit. Three or four essays in I was getting frustrated, because I wanted to learn concretely what you do when you ungrade. Then, about halfway through, more detailed accounts of practical strategies started showing up. These give a lot more to chew on. It's particularly helpful that teachers working in different fields and classrooms share their varied approaches. They don't shy away from the difficulties, either. Students and parents have responded positively in most cases.
You have to have at least some doubt about grades and interest in alternatives to get through this book. The authors are fully convinced that grades undermine learning, but they aren't concerned with providing the evidence to dispel a reader's doubts. You'll have to follow their citations. I for one am not convinced that grades always and everywhere undermine learning, but I am curious to find out more about the evidence they say is there. And to try some of the techniques they share. Still, given the constraints of where I am at, I'm not quite ready to take the leap.
The book starts with several chapters in which the authors tell you why grading is bad and life is better since they dropped the habit. Three or four essays in I was getting frustrated, because I wanted to learn concretely what you do when you ungrade. Then, about halfway through, more detailed accounts of practical strategies started showing up. These give a lot more to chew on. It's particularly helpful that teachers working in different fields and classrooms share their varied approaches. They don't shy away from the difficulties, either. Students and parents have responded positively in most cases.
You have to have at least some doubt about grades and interest in alternatives to get through this book. The authors are fully convinced that grades undermine learning, but they aren't concerned with providing the evidence to dispel a reader's doubts. You'll have to follow their citations. I for one am not convinced that grades always and everywhere undermine learning, but I am curious to find out more about the evidence they say is there. And to try some of the techniques they share. Still, given the constraints of where I am at, I'm not quite ready to take the leap.
March 26, 2022
This collection of essays by educators in almost every sort of classroom--high school, community college, university--is a must-read for anyone whose responsibility it is to educate students. The bibliographies will lead one to the mountain of evidence, accruing since 1912 (very close to the disastrous debut of the A-F grade scale) showing that not only do grades not do what they claim--accurately gauge a student's learning--they are in addition harmful to students, causing anxiety, stress, cheating, a buffet of damage. The educator looking to defend grading as a fair and beneficial practice is in the same boat as the person looking for specious "studies" by crank climatologists "proving" that global warming isn't real. In a word, embarrassing, and, second word, dishonest.
All the contributors share their experience with going gradeless in an environment that requires a final grade be given to students, and the passion and creativity and effort is inspiring. They discuss exactly how they carried out their approach to ungrading, the challenges they faced, what worked, what could be changed. Any review that claims these writers were vague or self-indulgent is a review that isn't being fair about the specificity of detail included in each essay. And the approach does scale: there's at least one essay that describes an approach that worked for eighty-plus students at once. As someone who has gradually chipped away at the importance of grades in his classroom, minimizing their damage where possible, I can't wait to go full gradeless with the guidance provided here.
April 17, 2022
Más que ungrading es un libro sobre "alternative grading", y discursos de motivación al respecto. No dice nada que cualquier educador decente con más de un par de años de experiencia no haya pensado por sí mismo. Como siempre en este tipo de textos, las propuestas concretas y generalizables escasean, mientras que abundan anécdotas irreproducibles (e inútiles).
Cosas negativas:
Normalizar aspectos de la precariedad y el abuso laboral en términos del tiempo que se dedica a la calificación (que sólo aumenta con el "ungrading").
Según un autor, la subjetividad de las notas que trae las diferencias entre profesor y profesor es inherentemente mala, como si "ungrading" tuviera como propósito uniformizar criterios (pienso que es todo lo contrario).
Muchas alternativas al "ungrading" son neutrales respecto a (o empeoran) las brechas de desigualdad, dado que premian a las personas más extrovertidas, con más confianza en sí mismas, con más habilidades de comunicación, en fin, personas que por sus privilegios han podido desarrollar habilidades blandas vs. estudiantes de entornos menos favorecidos.
Sin embargo, sí se me quedaron/inspiraron algunas ideas que quiero implementar:
Tener un diálogo al inicio de clases sobre expectativas e intereses de los estudiantes.
Hacer autoevaluación cualitativa (esquema p. 69).
Usar datos sobre competencias que buscan empleadores como benchmark para autoevaluación (p. 146).
Esquemas de ejercicios voluntarios a medida del estudiante.
Si el feedback busca mejorar habilidades blandas, añadir información específica sobre cursos/libros/videos más allá del currículo en el feedback.
Cosas negativas:
Normalizar aspectos de la precariedad y el abuso laboral en términos del tiempo que se dedica a la calificación (que sólo aumenta con el "ungrading").
Según un autor, la subjetividad de las notas que trae las diferencias entre profesor y profesor es inherentemente mala, como si "ungrading" tuviera como propósito uniformizar criterios (pienso que es todo lo contrario).
Muchas alternativas al "ungrading" son neutrales respecto a (o empeoran) las brechas de desigualdad, dado que premian a las personas más extrovertidas, con más confianza en sí mismas, con más habilidades de comunicación, en fin, personas que por sus privilegios han podido desarrollar habilidades blandas vs. estudiantes de entornos menos favorecidos.
Sin embargo, sí se me quedaron/inspiraron algunas ideas que quiero implementar:
Tener un diálogo al inicio de clases sobre expectativas e intereses de los estudiantes.
Hacer autoevaluación cualitativa (esquema p. 69).
Usar datos sobre competencias que buscan empleadores como benchmark para autoevaluación (p. 146).
Esquemas de ejercicios voluntarios a medida del estudiante.
Si el feedback busca mejorar habilidades blandas, añadir información específica sobre cursos/libros/videos más allá del currículo en el feedback.
September 24, 2021
I was able to apply several of the ideas in this book directly to my teaching practices this semester. On the first day of class, upon hearing about the planned contract grading policy, one of my senior undergraduates said "this sounds like it would be good for student mental health" and the rest of the class nodded and laughed. So far, the students are really enjoying the semester.
My main points of dissatisfaction were that there seemed to be a repetitive obsession with Alfie Kohn's work (I get it, but could the editors have addressed it?) and that the stem undergrad example was such a complicated mess of over grading that it wasn't helpful. That format would have left me so confused and frustrated as a student. I get that it was meant to contribute to metacognition, but isn't one of the points of ungrading that grading itself is arbitrary? Giving students bonus points for getting close to what YOU think should be their grade is a bit narcissistic in my opinion.
I listened to this as an audiobook. Sometimes the narration was a bit frustrating. Some of the pronunciation by the female narrator was awkward and randomly nasal (in a weird way) at times. And the male narration seemed to make every author sound full of themselves and a touch condescending. Overall it wasn't bad narration - just occasionally unsatisfactory.
My main points of dissatisfaction were that there seemed to be a repetitive obsession with Alfie Kohn's work (I get it, but could the editors have addressed it?) and that the stem undergrad example was such a complicated mess of over grading that it wasn't helpful. That format would have left me so confused and frustrated as a student. I get that it was meant to contribute to metacognition, but isn't one of the points of ungrading that grading itself is arbitrary? Giving students bonus points for getting close to what YOU think should be their grade is a bit narcissistic in my opinion.
I listened to this as an audiobook. Sometimes the narration was a bit frustrating. Some of the pronunciation by the female narrator was awkward and randomly nasal (in a weird way) at times. And the male narration seemed to make every author sound full of themselves and a touch condescending. Overall it wasn't bad narration - just occasionally unsatisfactory.
July 10, 2022
Some very interesting ideas presented here. Since this is a concept that is not easily applied to a traditional formatted school, it is hard to fully jump on board. However, I found several interesting ideas that I feel I can adapt to work within my own classroom.
Yes, I would love to see learning be at the forefront of my students minds. But in reality they tend to be grade driven. Or need the threat of failing the class to get them to produce the work.
My big takeaways in no particular order:
Attendance should not be a huge factor in the final grade.
Allowing lenient deadlines to allow the student to work under less pressure is a benefit.
Feedback, when read by students and applied, is the best way for them to grow in their skills.
Providing students with the opportunity to apply the feedback and resubmit assignments is key.
Learning is essential, and students need to be pushed until they get it
When they don’t get it – we have to figure out why and then help them get there.
Great ideas in this book but not practical for me:
Individual conferences with students twice a semester. This will not work with 130 students.
Incorporating peer editing.
Very hard to do in an online format.
— online high school English teacher
Yes, I would love to see learning be at the forefront of my students minds. But in reality they tend to be grade driven. Or need the threat of failing the class to get them to produce the work.
My big takeaways in no particular order:
Attendance should not be a huge factor in the final grade.
Allowing lenient deadlines to allow the student to work under less pressure is a benefit.
Feedback, when read by students and applied, is the best way for them to grow in their skills.
Providing students with the opportunity to apply the feedback and resubmit assignments is key.
Learning is essential, and students need to be pushed until they get it
When they don’t get it – we have to figure out why and then help them get there.
Great ideas in this book but not practical for me:
Individual conferences with students twice a semester. This will not work with 130 students.
Incorporating peer editing.
Very hard to do in an online format.
— online high school English teacher
July 10, 2023
The book presents solid reasoning for the pitfalls of grades and why involving students into the process is beneficial. I agree that rubrics, standards, and grades are limiting but the idea that they alone don't communicate anything really ignores that all of the essays still give grades in the end. And while pass/fail is certainly generous that doesn't really communicate anything to me about the levels of understanding that happen. Students certainly focus on grades and will try to game the system no matter how one approaches evaluation, as one essay admits that all his students chose As and Bs and even with the caveat that the teacher has the right to change the grade, most humans will still default to living in Lake Wobegon. In the end, it seems until we radically adjust the system to allow student choice in learning paths and universities can figure out how to choose students not based on GPA and standardized tests, then we are left with grades. However, the essays' points about evaluation is only useful with feedback, student input, conferencing, and the ability to redo assignments will always be true.
March 9, 2022
I'm just dipping my feet into the idea of changing the way I grade and assess my students, and this was a great starting point. At this juncture, it is the only point I have, though, so my opinion is apt to change.
This book is a collection of essays by various educators from seventh grade (I think that was the lowest in the age range of students) through university graduate students. There were lots of things that I can see myself using in class immediately, but mostly I see the value of this book as a slew of ideas worth pondering.
I am definitely going to have to think carefully about how I would implement this in my classes. At this point in their education (mostly juniors in high school for me) the grading system is so ingrained that taking that out completely without a lot of pondering on my part would be disastrous. I was met with incredulity and nervous laughter for just floating the idea to students of doing away with grades and what that would look like. 'There's no way I would do something I wasn't being graded on' was a fairly typical response.
We'll see!
This book is a collection of essays by various educators from seventh grade (I think that was the lowest in the age range of students) through university graduate students. There were lots of things that I can see myself using in class immediately, but mostly I see the value of this book as a slew of ideas worth pondering.
I am definitely going to have to think carefully about how I would implement this in my classes. At this point in their education (mostly juniors in high school for me) the grading system is so ingrained that taking that out completely without a lot of pondering on my part would be disastrous. I was met with incredulity and nervous laughter for just floating the idea to students of doing away with grades and what that would look like. 'There's no way I would do something I wasn't being graded on' was a fairly typical response.
We'll see!
August 22, 2024
The reasoning behind ungrading is something I can absolutely get behind, as is the philosophy that guides the changes that must necessarily be made by eliminating or drastically cutting back grades and the (mostly bad) habits that grades produce. That was a really interesting thing to read about, and the teachers collected in this volume make a convincing case early on. As far as the rest of the book goes as a book, it was kind of uneven. Maybe it's because I bought into the idea early on, but some of the case studies and arguments later seemed sort of weak or repetitive or unnecessary as illustrations of how the process could go. Some examples were useful, but others felt weirdly complicated in their own way. Again, the background and philosophy presented here are, I think, compelling, but the early arguments of the book were really all I needed to be convinced of that. The rest of the book read alright, but also like unnecessary additions to an argument that had already been well made.
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