The Grading Podcast Sharona Krinsky and Robert Bosley

In this episode, Sharona and Bosley speak with Dr. Latrice Bowman, a mathematics faculty member from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Latrice took the MAA OPEN intensive training on redesigning a course to use alternative grading and is back to talk about her first two times running the redesigned course. She shares lessons learned and changes made. We talk about reducing the number of learning outcomes, progress tracking, students conferences and so much more. Oh - and the result? A quadrupling of the pass rate from pre-calculus through first semester calculus.This is another great example of the process of course redesign.
Links
Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Clicking on them and purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!
MAA OPEN Math Project
Resources
The Grading Conference - an annual, online conference exploring Alternative Grading in Higher Education & K-12.
Some great resources to educate yourself about Alternative Grading:
The Grading for Growth BlogThe Grading ConferenceThe Intentional Academia Blog
Recommended Books on Alternative Grading (Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!):
Grading for Growth, by Robert Talbert and David ClarkSpecifications Grading, by Linda NilsenUndoing the Grade, by Jesse StommelGrading for Equity, by Joe Feldman
The Grading Podcast publishes every week on Tuesday at 4 AM Pacific time, so be sure to subscribe and get notified of each new episode. You can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram - @thegradingpod. To leave us a comment, please go to our website: www.thegradingpod.com and leave a comment on this episode's page.
If you would like to be considered to be a guest on this show, please reach out using the Contact Us form on our website, a...

In this episode, Sharona and Bosley talk with Dr. Emily Pitts Donahoe about teaching writing in a world where ungrading is the system and AI exists. Emily is the Associate Director of Instruction Support at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning as well as a lecturer in writing and rhetoric at the University of Mississippi. She is also one of the organizers of the 2024 Grading Conference. This conversation explores some of the research on grades and motivation, and then continues our exploration into the new thinking that many of us in the alt grading world are doing as we consider the impact of generative AI models on our courses. What is the purpose of teaching writing if an AI can do most of the things we need writing for? (Or can it?)
From helping our students find purpose in our classes to rethinking the types of writing and assignments we give, join us as we continue the conversation about authentic assessments, grades, and the impact of AI.
Links
Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Clicking on them and purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!
Grades Can Hinder Learning: What Should Professors Use Instead, Becky SupianoEffects of No Feedback, Task-Related Comments, and Grades on Intrinsic Motivation and Performance, Ruth Butler and Mordecai Nisan (PDF download)Unmaking the Grade, a blog by Emily Pitts DonahoeA start/stop/continue for the Ungrading Community, Grading for Growth BlogVisible Learning: The Sequel, John HattiePrompt Engineering Specialization, course on prompt engineering from Vanderbuilt University delivered via Coursera
Resources
The Grading Conference - an annual, online conference exploring Alternative Grading in Higher Education & K-12.
Some great resources to educate yourself about Alternative Grading:
The Grading for Growth BlogThe Grading ConferenceThe Intentional Academia Blog
Recommended Books on Alternative Grading (Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!):
a...

In this episode we talk with Becky Peppler and Don Smith from First Educational Resources, an organization dedicated to providing K-12 school districts in North America with affordable options for professional learning to support social emotional learning, instructional coaching, professional learning communities, and grading reform efforts. We discuss their experiences with supporting grading reform efforts in thousands of districts across North America, the challenges, the opportunities, and where we go from here. We also talk about the STAGR center and conference. STAGR stands for "Standards, Targets, Assessment, Grading, and Reporting". The STAGR conference, a 1-day virtual event held twice a year, provides a platform for K-12 educators to come together to understand the landscape of grading reform, identify strategies that reduce complexity and enhance understanding of reform efforts, and work to implement effective changes to grading systems.
Links
Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Clicking on them and purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!
The STAGR ConferenceExtinguishing the Fires within Assessment and Grading Reform, Garth Larson, Becky Peppler, Don Smith, and Matt TownsleyFair Isn't Always Equal: Assessment and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom, Rick WormeliLearning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work (An Actionable Guide to Implementing the PLC Process and Effective Teaching Methods), Richard DuFourCollege BridgeRepair Kit for Grading: (3rd Edition) 15 Fixes for Broken Grades with Discussion and Repair Guide, Ken O'Connor and Rick Wormeli
Resources
The Grading Conference - an annual, online conference exploring Alternative Grading in Higher Education & K-12.
Some great resources to educate yourself about Alternative Grading:
The Grading for Growth BlogThe Grading ConferenceThe Intentional Academia Blog
Recommended Books on Alternative Grading (Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!):
Grading for Growth, by Robert Talbert and David Clarka...

In this episode we talk with Dr. Rachel Weir. Dr. Weir is a Professor of Mathematics at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. She has been the Director of Faculty Development at Allegheny College for the past few years and is currently (as of when this episode was recorded) the new interim Associate Provost at Allegheny College. We talk with Rachel about her journey into alternative grading, how that has impacted her work as the Director of Faculty Development and how she is thinking about the impact of alternative grading from the perspective of her new job as Interim Associate Provost.
Links
Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Clicking on them and purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!
Allegheny College in Meadville, PAMAA Mathfest (Mathematical Association of America)The Academy of Inquiry Based LearningUngrading, by Susan D. BlumAcutec Precision AerospaceLiving Proof: Stories of Resilience Along the Mathematical Journey
Resources
The Grading Conference - an annual, online conference exploring Alternative Grading in Higher Education & K-12.
Some great resources to educate yourself about Alternative Grading:
The Grading for Growth BlogThe Grading ConferenceThe Intentional Academia Blog
Recommended Books on Alternative Grading (Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!):
Grading for Growth, by Robert Talbert and David ClarkSpecifications Grading, by Linda NilsenUndoing the Grade, by Jesse Stommela...

On this episode we welcome back the "sportscaster" of Alternative Grading, Dr. Matt Townsley, to talk about his new book Extinguishing the Fires within Assessment and Grading Reform. As Alternative Grading practices grow and take shape throughout the United States, efforts to resist these reforms are also growing. This incredible new book offers practical guidance to navigating the complexities of transitioning to alternative grading architectures and how to address the seemingly inevitable pushback that many of us are now experiencing. Based on the lived experiences of the authors, this book is a MUST READ for anyone concerned about advocating for grading reform.
Links
Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Clicking on them and purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!
Extinguishing the Fires Within Assessment and Grading Reform, Garth Larson, Becky Peppler, Don Smith, Matt Townsley.
Resources
The Grading Conference - an annual, online conference exploring Alternative Grading in Higher Education & K-12.
Some great resources to educate yourself about Alternative Grading:
The Grading for Growth BlogThe Grading ConferenceThe Intentional Academia Blog
Recommended Books on Alternative Grading (Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!):
Grading for Growth, by Robert Talbert and David ClarkSpecifications Grading, by Linda NilsenUndoing the Grade, by Jesse StommelGrading for Equity, by Joe Feldman
The Grading Podcast publishes every week on Tuesday at 4 AM Pacific time, so be sure to subscribe and get notified of each new episode. You can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram - @thegradingpod. To leave us a comment, please go to our website: www.thegradingpod.com and leave a comment on this episode's...

Join us as we explore some of the sessions at the upcoming Grading Conference! Sharona and Bosley share some details of the newly released schedule for the Grading Conference, as well as discuss which ones they would really like to attend.
Links
Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Clicking on them and purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!
The Grading Conference
Resources
The Grading Conference - an annual, online conference exploring Alternative Grading in Higher Education & K-12.
Some great resources to educate yourself about Alternative Grading:
The Grading for Growth BlogThe Grading ConferenceThe Intentional Academia Blog
Recommended Books on Alternative Grading (Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!):
Grading for Growth, by Robert Talbert and David ClarkSpecifications Grading, by Linda NilsenUndoing the Grade, by Jesse StommelGrading for Equity, by Joe Feldman
The Grading Podcast publishes every week on Tuesday at 4 AM Pacific time, so be sure to subscribe and get notified of each new episode. You can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram - @thegradingpod. To leave us a comment, please go to our website: www.thegradingpod.com and leave a comment on this episode's page.
If you would like to be considered to be a guest on this show, please reach out using the Contact Us form on our website, www.thegradingpod.com.
All content of this podcast and website are solely the opinions of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily represent the views of California State University Los Angeles or the Los Angeles Unified School District.
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