Alternative Grading

In this Community of Practice, we seek to empower educators to reimagine assessment in ways that promote deeper learning, intrinsic motivation, and student equity. 

  • A safe, exploratory space for faculty to discuss, implement, and refine nontraditional grading methods. 
  • A collaborative incubator for practical strategies, shared resources, pilot projects, and course redesigns. 
  • A change agent that fosters a campus culture of reflective, learning-centered assessment. 
  • Fostering collaboration
    • Lead inclusive discussions that center on faculty members’ concerns and curiosity. 
  • Building literacy 
    • Help participants engage with foundational readings 
    • Organize sessions around key themes: feedback over grades, transparency, motivation, equity, etc. 
  • Supporting implementation 
    • Encourage members to try small-scale experiments in their own teaching. 
    • Create a low-pressure space to report back and share results. 
  • Documenting and sharing 
    • Collect and share case studies, sample syllabi, rubrics, and reflections from members. 
    • Potentially host a showcase event. 

This CoP is open to all faculty members at UBC Okanagan. To join, please email electra.eleftheriadou@ubc.ca  

This CoP meets twice per term, in-person (SCI 331). The launch date will be announced in August (2025). Subsequent dates will be scheduled based on the availability of the CoP members.  

Suggested activities for the meetings, include: 

Reading Circles  Discuss chapters of some books: 

  • Grading for Growth by David Clark and Robert Talbert 
  • Ungrading by Susan Blum 
  • Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman 
Try-It Challenges  Encourage members to revise one assignment or grading policy using an alternative approach, then share outcomes. 
Grading Makeovers   Peer-review sessions for redesigning traditional rubrics or syllabi sections. 
Student Panels   Invite students to share their experiences with different grading approaches. 
Collaborative Toolkit   Create a shared resource bank with templates, FAQs, and implementation tips. 
Faculty Spotlights   Highlight successful implementations in the newsletter. 

This CoP is starting activity in the 2025-2026 academic year