Literature shows that traditional points based grading systems are inequitable, exclusionary and discourage student growth and exploration. Participants will unpack the unexamined structures of traditional grading. We will consider alternative grading systems based on the four pillars of a more equitable grading system: clearly defined learning outcomes, helpful feedback, marks that indicate progress, and opportunities to revise or re attempt work without penalty.

Students learn best through feedback loops. In a grading system that centers equity and student learning, instructors have a powerful tool to incentivize student learning and encourage risk-taking and exploration. In this session, we will unpack the large extent to which our existing grading system does an extreme disservice to the goals of our courses and explore an alternative way of grading that promotes and enhances student learning. Equitable grading systems have the opportunity to provide richer assessment options, as instructors can have the freedom to allow for a much more varied approach to obtaining evidence of learning. By allowing students to retake, revise, or reattempt without penalty, students from historically marginalized communities are given critical time to develop their thinking. By combining structure with flexibility, students can find customized paths to success in partnership with instructors.