Pandemic Pedagogy 2022
Everything’s Made Up and the Points Don’t Matter:
Ungrading During the Pandemic
bit.ly/PanPedUngrading
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Introductions
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Presenter Introductions
Liz Owens Boltz
MAET Director
Brittany Dillman
Director of Graduate Certificate Programs
Candace Robertson
Assistant Director of Student Experience & Outreach
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Program Introduction
Master’s Degree. Online. Hybrid. Overseas. 3 Graduate Certificates.
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What is ungrading in MAET?
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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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Our ungrading journey
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Timeline
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Student Survey
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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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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Student Focus Group
April 2021
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QA
Waiting for their feedback was “curiosity” not “anxiety”
Changed their relationships with instructors
Use feedback for future creations
No change in work quality
Students love it!
Still some anxiety over potential email that their grade dropped
Implications for Practice
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unveil
and
define
beliefs
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respond to student and instructor experiences
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iterate
and
refine
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design
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Resources
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Ungrading
Resources
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askmaet@msu.edu education.msu.edu/maet
Bonus points!
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Program-level conversations
Program + instructor conversations
Program-driven course revision
Instructor training and conversations
Student feedback
Our ungrading process overview
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What does ungrading look like?
creation description in D2L
single point rubric
student submits creation
feedback provided
feedback notebook
student revises/iterates
feedback notebook
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Single Point Rubric
Feedback Notebook
Theme frequency for survey data
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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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Research
29 mentions of Feedback
22 mentions of Points/Grades
21 mentions of Identity
19 mentions of Life and Instructor Relations (each)
16 mentions of design
31 mentions of Mental Health
Plan
process
Communicate with instructors
Communicate with students
Be transparent
Iterate
Elicit feedback
Elicit feedback
Elicit feedback
Elicit feedback
Iterate
Iterate
Iterate
Iterate
how ungrading has opened up design
and learning possibilities
1
2
3
More energy in alignment and naming criteria and expectations
Don’t have to worry if points balance out or equal 100
Flexibility for assignments
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