Class information

Eng 101/201 – Introduction to Composition/Literature

25 students

Gateway English courses that orient students to the introductory concepts of composition and literature. Key skills that are built include critical thinking, evaluating source integrity, and articulating clearly and effective through the written word and voice.

Project overview

Project explored ungrading in the English subject classroom. The hope was that students would feel a stronger connection to their internal motivations to develop skills that supported their interests in being critical thinkers and cultural participants. In the iteration of ungrading in Spring 2021, the class was fully ungraded. This meant that students gave themselves grades at specified moments in the semester through a written self-evaluation. I supported the evaluations with templates to help them develop the content of their self-evaluation along with a “rubric.”

Why did you select this project? How does it relate to identity and purpose?

I saw the concept of UNgrading as an intervention to rehumanize both students and instructor; to create a learning environment that frees the student to explore their identities and desires as learners and scholars.

What advice do you have for other faculty who would like to implement a similar project?

I don’t recommend taking this on as an alternative to traditional forms of grading if you are looking for ways to ease your grading workload. It takes time to figure out the system that works for you. It is in conversation with students and some might need more guidance and support to feel secure with a mode of assessment that they are not use to.

Related materials

Information sheet from a prior presentation where I shared this project. It includes a list of resources I found helpful and it includes a link to materials that you are welcome to copy into your own drive to use/modify as needed.