Summary
Although deeply rooted in our curriculum and society, grades have been shown to be harmful to–and unpredictive of–student learning and ability. More alarming, grades encourage students to optimize their points by taking what they perceive as the easiest path, leading to rushed assignments, academic dishonesty, lower motivation, and additional barriers to learning. Ungrading, the practice of not assigning grades, can improve student learning and engagement by emphasizing feedback and growth. Similarly, switching from traditional exams and to more learning-oriented assessments can improve student performance, motivation, and self-efficacy. This workshop will help educators transition a traditional classroom to an ungraded classroom with nontraditional assessments. This workshop will be open to all educators, including those currently teaching and those simply interested in learning more about these equitable and inclusive practices. We will explore and guide the implementation of ungrading in any course, but with a specific focus on high school and college physics and astronomy courses. Through hands-on activities, participants will learn numerous methods to transition assignments and assessments to ungraded formats. Participants will leave the workshop with a transformed class structure and numerous classroom materials that are ready for immediate implementation.