The MAET Program Presents…
Beyond Buzzwords:
The Practice of Ungrading
April 4, 2023
Break
Create
Q + A
Time to Create
Resources
Share
MAET Ungrading Journey
Lessons
Learned
Today’s Plan
Explore
Mindful Moment
Norms
Brittany
You
MAET
Questions
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Explore
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Source: https://gph.is/2cBwk7G
Mindful Moment
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Group
Norms
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What is ungrading?
“Ungrading is a practice which eliminates or greatly minimizes the use of assigned points or letter grades in a course, focusing instead on providing frequent and detailed feedback to students on their work, in relation to the course learning goals…the primary purpose of the assessment is to help students learn and improve their knowledge and skills, rather than to create a summative score that students use to compare themselves against an external credential.” (Kenyon, 2022)
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Liz Owens Boltz
MAET Director
Instructor
Brittany Dillman
Director of Graduate Certificate Programs
GC Advisor
Instructor
Candace Robertson
Asst Director of Student Experience & Outreach
MA Advisor
Instructor
Heather Williamson
Academic
Program Coordinator
Admissions
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Introducing:
Us
Please share:
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Introducing MAET
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MAET Principles
Providing support from application to beyond graduation
Valuing diversity of resources, perspectives, and communities
Promoting growth as curious learners and transformational leaders
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MAET Students
Predominantly White and female
Majority are K-12 educators
Global
community
Some higher education or corporate
Masters and Graduate Certificate learners
Adult, working professionals
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MAET Instructors
How
Most teach 1 course per semester
Lots of change
Who
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MAET Courses
Summer
4 weeks
9 credits
Face-to-face
Fall/Spring/Sum
16 courses
Multimodal
15:1 student to teacher ratio
Online
Overseas
Summer
6 weeks
9 credits
Face-to-face and online
Hybrid
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MAET Approach
and lead with our global network of thought leaders
powerful solutions for teaching & learning
Create
Share
innovative ideas & technologies with pioneering educators
Explore
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MAET Online Teaching
Highly caring program staff + instructors.
High instructor presence.
Ungrading.
Flexible creations.
Asynchronous.
Intentional. Planned.
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MAET Materials
All courses are in D2L
Google Doc
Individual
Private
Learner info
Feedback
Feedback Notebook
D2L
Google Sheet
Class
Open
Checklist
ShareTracker
If you use or repurpose any of these, please attribute the MAET program
Early: Course
Mid: Grade
End: Grade
Reflections
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Introducing: Our Questions
Please:
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Share
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the
ungrading promise
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MAET’s ungrading journey
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Timeline
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What is ungrading in MAET?
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Why Ungrading?
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MAET Ungrading Overview
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How is this different from what we used to do?
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Single Point Rubric
Single Point Rubric
Feedback Notebook
Data
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Student Focus Group
April 2021
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Waiting for their feedback was “curiosity” not “anxiety”
Changed their relationships with instructors
Used feedback for future creations
No change in work quality
Students love it!
Still some anxiety over potential email that their grade dropped*
Lessons Learned and MAET Recommends
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unveil
and
define
beliefs
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unveil and define beliefs
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respond to student and instructor experiences
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responding to students and instructors
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iterate
and
refine
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iterate and refine
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Prompt | My responses about my learning, feedback, and grades | |
What grade are you aiming to receive in this course? (4.0, 3.5, etc.) | | |
What do you need from your instructor(s) and from the learning environment to engage most deeply with ideas? | | |
What expectations do you have for feedback? | | |
What kind of feedback is most helpful to you as a learner? | Note: If you addressed this above, feel free to say “see above” | |
What feedback does not work for you as a learner? | Note: If you addressed this above, feel free to say “see above” | |
We use an ungrading philosophy in which you start with a 4.0, are expected to iterate, and we will reach out if your work is not meeting expectations (please see the syllabus for more info). Some students have let us know that the thought of receiving the “your work isn’t meeting expectations” email can be anxiety producing. Please let us know what you would like to happen if your work is not meeting expectations. | Sample options:
| |
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Prompt | My responses about my learning, feedback, and grades | |
What grade are you aiming to receive in this course? (4.0, 3.5, etc.) | | |
What do you need from your instructor(s) and from the learning environment to engage most deeply with ideas? | | |
What expectations do you have for feedback? | | |
What kind of feedback is most helpful to you as a learner? | Note: If you addressed this above, feel free to say “see above” | |
What feedback does not work for you as a learner? | Note: If you addressed this above, feel free to say “see above” | |
We use an ungrading philosophy in which you start with a 4.0, are expected to iterate, and we will reach out if your work is not meeting expectations (please see the syllabus for more info). Some students have let us know that the thought of receiving the “your work isn’t meeting expectations” email can be anxiety producing. Please let us know what you would like to happen if your work is not meeting expectations. | Sample options:
| |
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design
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design
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Constructive feedback, not only critiques, provide gauge
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example
from last week
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Rubric from CEP 805 Feedback Notebook
Criteria | Aspects to revise | Aspects to celebrate |
You follow the MAET Writing Expectations. | | |
Your creation clearly considers your contexts. | | |
Your creation demonstrates your MKT. | | |
Your creation includes thoughtful, creative, and integrated pedagogies to support Measurement learning. | | |
Your creation includes thoughtful, creative, and integrated technologies to support Measurement learning. | | |
Your creation includes appropriate assessment which is aligned with objectives. | | |
Your creation shows evidence you have deeply engaged with The 5 Practices. | | |
Your creation reflects the breadth and depth of 3 weeks of graduate-level work. | | |
Overall Notes and Next Steps | | |
Complete revisions | | |
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connect
Google Doc
Tech Analysis
Teachers
Tools for Measure
Google Doc
PD
*K-6 Teachers
Curr + Measure
Didn’t Submit Anything
Lowered grade
*Jamboard
*Pear Deck
Series of Tasks
Graphs
Slides
PD
*Ed Tech Company
Graphing Co Data
*Jamboard
Demo
*pH and Logs
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Break
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Create
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Something else?
Large Group
Talk
Brainstorm
Groups
Small Group
Plan
Prepare
Together
Create Options
Individual
Think
Plan
Alone
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It’s Your Time!
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Return to Our Questions
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Questions
Answers?
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Thank you!
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DillmanB@msu.edu
Extras
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Resources
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Ungrading
Resources
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Student Survey Data:
Sept & Dec 2020
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How much concern do you have about…?
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How much emphasis did you put on grades?
Average change: -0.55 (-11%)
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Theme frequency for survey data
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Themes
Theme | Description | Example |
Overall positive | Ungrading was positive or good | “Overall, by midsemester I was so comfortable with ungrading that I had forgotten we were being "ungraded." I felt like the class was my job and I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to do well. I WANTED to work on my projects and assignments--they felt more like a hobby than a chore.” |
Evaluation | Grades, GPA, points, being evaluated or scored | “I didn't feel the need to constantly look at my grade as there wasn't one. It really made me learn to trust myself and have more confidence in my own performance and also learn how to better assess my own work and decide whether it is meeting the university's expectations or not.” |
Mental health | Anxiety, depression, worry, concern, fear, nervousness, etc | “it also seems anxiety provoking to have a 4.0 and just always be at risk of losing it...(I think fear of losing is more anxiety provoking than motivation to keep building up)” |
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Theme | Description | Example |
Feedback | Role of feedback in ungrading | “Ungrading was made positive for me because my professor was very attentive and made sure we understood the expectations and were meeting the criteria we needed to. She gave feedback weekly to help us stay on track.” |
Iteration | Making revisions, iteration, improving their work | “It sounds like it gives students a better chance at revising their classwork to better achieve mastery of the course material will without fear of penalty.” |
Change in thinking / learning | Change in thinking, growth, learning, mindset, or understanding a concept | “Ungrading certainly helped me feel at ease whenever I wanted to take creative risks. I wasn't afraid of losing points for trying out new ideas. Less stress about grades allowed me to open my mind to more creative pursuits.” |
Themes
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Instructor data:
January 2021 Zoom
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Ungrading was...
I didn’t have to make tough calls on a 3.5 and a 4.0 on a rubric.
I felt like I was on the “student’s team” not on the “curriculum’s team”
Feedback, iteration, growth-oriented.
Takes focus off of points and “is this what you wanted from me?” and shifts to feedback to allow you to push more on their thinking
Grades are evil, and it was liberating to not have to submit to that system and focus on learning and growth instead.
rewarding because...
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Ungrading was...
Alleviating learners’ anxieties about doing something different.
Somewhat awkward when needed to say “your grade is less than a 4.0”
Keeping track of needed revisions
Multiple rounds of feedback take lots of time, even for a smallish group of learners.
challenging because...
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Ungrading thoughts...
This helped “allow” me to be more empathetic with learners
I had to understand that some learners are fine with not getting a 4.0, and that’s okay (as long as they understand/we have a convo about it)
Get rid of grades forever.
If there’s something you’re thinking about the work not being up to par (invisible criteria), you have to share it and make it visible
generally...
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Syllabus Language
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Syllabus Language - page 1
MAET Assessment Philosophy
MAET and Graduate Certificate (GC) students bring a vast and powerful array of expertise to our learning community. You may be taking this course because you want to build foundational technology skills; alternatively, you may already feel quite proficient with a wide range of technologies, and you are taking this course to develop your understanding of learning through technology. No matter what your skills and knowledge, you’re welcome in this course, and we’re excited to help you reach your goals. We in the MAET program are most interested in your growth and learning—and you will be assessed on the basis of how far you go, not from where you started. This doesn’t mean that different standards apply to different students. On the contrary, we hold each student to a very high standard of academic and professional excellence. We expect each of you to push your limits—whatever those limits are—and to contribute your own unique learning experiences and perspectives to our learning community. We expect each of you to communicate and write effectively and in accordance with the elements of style outlined in the American Psychological Association (APA) manual. We expect each of you to meet deadlines. We expect each of you to ask good questions in order to extend your own thinking as well as the thinking of your peers, colleagues, and instructors. We expect each of you to seek out answers by leveraging all of the resources at your disposal. We expect each of you to adhere to professional standards of academic integrity, to respect the work of your peers, and to offer thoughtful, constructive suggestions that sharpen our collective understanding and focus. We have high expectations and it is our goal to help you reach those expectations.
If you use and repurpose any of this, please attribute the MAET program
Syllabus Language - page 2
MAET Ungrading Practice
In this course we will work on a variety of creations and projects that are designed to help elevate your thinking and practice as a technology educator, designer, and leader. To that end, we will engage in ungrading.
This means that you begin with a 4.0. When you submit creations, your instructors will provide qualitative feedback—support on things you did well, suggestions for improvements, and ways to connect and move forward. This may come to you in a variety of ways: rubrics, written feedback, recorded video feedback, or synchronous meetings. You will not receive points, scores, or other types of quantitative evaluation. We will expect you to iterate your creations based on feedback provided.
If at any time, your instructor feels that you are not working to your potential, meeting MAET/GC expectations, or are at the risk of falling below a 4.0, they will contact you immediately to discuss your work with you.
This is a non-traditional approach to grading, but we believe it will help increase equity of assessment, decrease assessment bias, and reduce barriers of grades which may stifle your creativity. We employ this practice to demonstrate our values of risk-taking, creativity, boundary-pushing, ownership of work, and iteration. There is a collection of research around ungrading that we encourage you to consider at Ungrading - Human Restoration Project. There is a book coming out in December 2020 by Dr. Susan Blum titled Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead). We encourage you to explore it.
We realize that this may make some of you feel unsure about your progress. If, at any time, you have questions about how you are doing in the course, please reach out to your instructor.
If you use and repurpose any of this, please attribute the MAET program
Syllabus Language - page 3
Reflection and Iteration
We believe in the power of reflection and iteration for learning. We want you to join us! Throughout this course, we expect you to revise all work based on the feedback you receive to produce the highest quality work you can. We encourage you to reach out to your instructor for an additional round of feedback if you make substantial changes that significantly alter your creation. In this case, please clearly communicate with your instructor about the changes you made and what kind of feedback would be helpful to you. Please do this within 1 week of receiving your initial feedback. This policy is intended to help you continue to produce high-quality work, stretch your learning, and keep you moving forward in the course. It’s based on the assumption that your initial submission is your best work at the time, and revisions will improve the quality even further.
Because of end of semester deadlines, your instructor will let you know when revisions can no longer be accepted. This is likely to be Units 7 and 8.
Deadlines
Due dates will be shared with you via the ShareTracker and D2L, and will primarily be on Sundays at 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET). We indicate due dates and deadlines with bold, green text.
Late Work Policy
We understand that life happens—getting sick, busy times at work, technology troubles, global pandemics, just to name a few—and things don't go according to plan. If this happens, we expect you to communicate with your instructor before you miss a due date. In this communication, let your instructor know when you will have the work completed. If you aren’t sure, communicate the uncertainty and then communicate again when you do know. We are happy to work with you, but it is your responsibility to proactively communicate.
Our Expectations of You
As mentioned earlier, we expect your work to meet our MAET and GC standards. Therefore, it’s important that we name the following situations to help bound this experience and set clear expectations. The following are situations that will alert your instructor to check in with you:
Key Grade Benchmarks
While we are ungrading, the University still has some thresholds of which you should be aware. Specifically, please note:
If you use and repurpose any of this, please attribute the MAET program
Syllabus Language - page 4
Late Work Policy
We understand that life happens—getting sick, busy times at work, technology troubles, global pandemics, just to name a few—and things don't go according to plan. If this happens, we expect you to communicate with your instructor before you miss a due date. In this communication, let your instructor know when you will have the work completed. If you aren’t sure, communicate the uncertainty and then communicate again when you do know. We are happy to work with you, but it is your responsibility to proactively communicate.
Our Expectations of You
As mentioned earlier, we expect your work to meet our MAET and GC standards. Therefore, it’s important that we name the following situations to help bound this experience and set clear expectations. The following are situations that will alert your instructor to check in with you:
Key Grade Benchmarks
While we are ungrading, the University still has some thresholds of which you should be aware. Specifically, please note:
If you use and repurpose any of this, please attribute the MAET program
Sample Student Communication
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Sample Email Language - Student Not Revising (1st email)
This should be sent as early as possible...
Dear Name,
I wanted to check in with you about making revisions on your coursework. We are using an ungrading philosophy (see your course syllabus for details) and part of that philosophy and practice is revising your work based on my/our feedback. There are 1/2/a few creations that currently need feedback:
First, you need to revise your Unit 1 blog post based on my feedback in your FN by ____ (date that’s week or so away). I imagine this is 30 minutes or less of time. Please email me when you are done with these revisions. I will look at and respond to your revisions by _____ (date)
Second, you need to revise your essay based on my feedback in your FN by ____ (same date? Few days later?) I imagine this is 45 minutes or less of time. Please email me when you are done with these revisions. I will look at and respond to your revisions by _____ (date)
Upon successful completion of these revisions, your grade will remain a 4.0. If you have not made these revisions by ____ (date), your grade will change based on the overall quality of work at that time (likely a 3.0) and I will let you know of that change.
If you use and repurpose any of this, please attribute the MAET program
Sample Email Language - Student Not Revising (2nd email)
This should be sent as early as possible...
Dear Name,
I wanted to check in with you about making revisions on your coursework. We are using an ungrading philosophy (see your course syllabus for details) and part of that philosophy and practice is revising your work based on my/our feedback. There are 1/2/a few creations that currently need feedback:
First, you need to revise your Unit 1 blog post based on my feedback in your FN by ____ (date that’s week or so away). I imagine this is 30 minutes or less of time. Please email me when you are done with these revisions. I will look at and respond to your revisions by _____ (date)
Second, you need to revise your essay based on my feedback in your FN by ____ (same date? Few days later?) I imagine this is 45 minutes or less of time. Please email me when you are done with these revisions. I will look at and respond to your revisions by _____ (date)
Upon successful completion of these revisions, your grade will remain a 4.0. If you have not made these revisions by ____ (date), your grade will change based on the overall quality of work at that time (likely a 3.0) and I will let you know of that change.
This email should be sent after you have sent something like the previous email….
Dear Name,
Right now, your grade in the course is a 3.0. (and instructor - make sure to change the grade in D2L...and erase this note/don’t include this in your email). When you make the revisions in your ______ and _______, I will check those out, update your grade, and let you know. I have every thought that those revisions will take you up to a 4.0.
As a reminder, please attend to:
First, you need to revise your _____ based on my feedback in your FN by ____ (date that’s week or so away).
Second, you need to revise your _____ based on my feedback in your FN by ____ (same date? Few days later?)
If you use and repurpose any of this, please attribute the MAET program