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 first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 2nd at 1:00pm in SCI 331. Subsequent dates will be scheduled based on the availability of the CoP members.  

Information about the first meeting is forthcoming. 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