What if, as educators, we take as much interest and care in designing assessments as we do with preparing for classroom teaching? Can we aim to create assessments that are equally valuable opportunities for students to learn?
Assessments that students are intrinsically motivated to complete are less susceptible to academic dishonesty of any kind (Krou et al., 2021). Creating an assessment that is purposefully designed to engage students in a meaningful learning experience – rather than a competition between students or a tedious task – can similarly encourage students to undertake it with integrity.
Take a moment to reflect on what an assessment-as-learning-experience might look like in your discipline: how might students develop their knowledge, skills and/or attitudes through completing the assessment? Or, consider what students learn from the assessment you would like to redesign: if they are only recalling what they already know (which is also important, of course!), can your redesigned assessment incorporate elements that allow them to learn something new?
Shifting the emphasis from grading to assessment
Many of the educators we work with at the MacPherson Institute tell us how grades and grading have come to dominate students’ thinking about the practice of assessment, and their experience of university learning more generally. Grades are also a major source of tension between educators and students, often requiring educators to negotiate an incremental change or justify a particular mark.
While the “Rethinking Assessment” module is intended to support the design or redesign of a specific assessment, we also recognize that no assessment exists in a vacuum. As you think through the particulars of your assessment, you may also wish to consider how it fits into the bigger picture of your course.
Reframing the broader context of assessment: Ungrading strategies
Information Box Group
These ungrading strategies can be used in combination, and not every strategy will be realistic for every teaching context. If you would like to learn more about a particular ungrading approach, the best way to get started is to talk with colleagues who have tried these approaches in their own teaching. Though every offering of every course will have unique opportunities and challenges, your fellow educators can share the lessons they have learned to help you navigate your own ungrading journey.
References
Krou, M. R., Fong, C. J., & Hoff, M. A. (2021). “Achievement Motivation and Academic Dishonesty: A Meta-Analytic Investigation.” Educational Psychology Review, 33(2), 427–458. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09557-7.
Stommel, J. (n.d.). Ungrading and Alternative Assessment, http://bit.ly/ungrading.