Grades Society's Shortcomings: Exploration of Why Marks Disservice Pupils
In the realm of education, a significant shift is underway as educators and researchers explore alternative grading systems. These new approaches aim to foster a more effective and less stressful learning environment for students, focusing on mastery, feedback, and student agency.
Joshua R. Eyler, director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning and an education professor at the University of Mississippi, argues in his new book "Failing Our Future: How Grades Harm Students, And What We Can Do About It" that traditional grading methods can hinder academic success and contribute to the ongoing youth mental health crisis.
Eyler's arguments are based on a 2021 meta-analysis of many previous studies looking at the impact of grading. The study compared three groups of students: one who received grades, a second group that received feedback but no grades, and a third group that received no grades or feedback. The results showed that students who received comments without grades saw increased achievement and motivation, while students who received grades had poorer achievement and less optimal motivation.
One of the key alternative grading systems gaining traction is ungrading or mastery-based grading. This approach removes or reduces traditional point-based grades to focus on mastering learning outcomes rather than accumulating points. This fosters engagement with feedback and promotes deliberate practice through continuous improvement rather than final scores.
Another approach is student-led, peer, and self-assessment. Allowing students to participate actively in giving and receiving feedback enhances self-regulation, a sense of agency, and academic achievement, especially among disadvantaged students. These methods help students internalize learning goals and become more reflective learners.
Schools are moving toward standards-based grading, also known as competency or proficiency mastery grading. This method drops or reduces the weight of low or early exam scores, methods like dropping the lowest midterm exam score have been shown to increase final grades and reduce negative impacts on lower-performing students, thereby supporting motivation and fairness.
Peer grading with calibrated or reputation-based weighting is another strategy. Peer grading systems that calibrate grades against instructor standards or use reputation scores improve grading accuracy and promote accountability. Such systems help scale feedback in large or online classes while maintaining quality.
Technology plays a crucial role in implementing these alternative grading systems. Learning Management Systems (LMS) or other tools can make it easier to create multiple opportunities for success and facilitate peer and self-assessment activities.
For instance, a professor at the University of Mississippi offers an unlimited retake system on chemistry classes using an LMS with a vast dataset of questions. New software is also being developed to translate mastery-grade transcripts into their traditional grade equivalents.
The conversation is not about abolishing grades entirely but about reorienting students' relationship with grades by trying out alternative grading models. Montessori schools, including 500 public schools, are gradeless, and many K-12 districts and colleges across the U.S. have embraced nontraditional grading systems.
Colleges can already evaluate non-traditional transcripts, and other grading methods include portfolio grading, collaborative grading, and specifications grading. These approaches aim to create learning environments where feedback drives learning, students feel responsible for their progress, and assessment promotes mastery over performance.
Although research is still emerging, qualitative improvements in engagement and motivation reported by educators support the wider adoption of these alternative grading systems. The book "Failing Our Future: How Grades Harm Students, And What We Can Do About It" by Joshua R. Eyler offers a comprehensive exploration of this topic and provides insights into how we can create a more effective and less stressful educational system for our students. The book is set to be published on August 27.
- The director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning at the University of Mississippi, Joshua R. Eyler, believes that traditional grading methods are detrimental to academic success and mental health, as outlined in his book "Failing Our Future".
- A study comparing three groups of students found that those receiving comments without grades showed increased achievement and motivation, contrasting with the poorer performance and motivation of those receiving grades.
- One alternative grading system gaining popularity is ungrading or mastery-based grading, which focuses on mastering learning outcomes rather than accumulating points, thereby fostering engagement with feedback and promoting deliberate practice.
- Schools are transitioning to standards-based grading, a method that reduces the weight of low or early exam scores, thereby supporting motivation and fairness, and can be facilitated through Learning Management Systems (LMS).
