Description

What do grades really measure? Is there a more accurate indicator of our students’ skills and abilities? The traditional grading system used in higher education in the U.S. is often more a measure of privilege or personality than of learning. It also creates a competitive, chilly course climate that can undermine efforts to build community with students and positions instructors as gatekeepers, as opposed to partners. In this course we will investigate alternative strategies for indicating student learning that are more equitable, more accurate, and more effectively promote student agency and motivation . We will also discuss some simple changes instructors can make to their syllabus policies and course design that can increase grading equity and student engagement with the learning process.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Critically investigate traditional grading as a source of power that privileges some students and leaves others out.
2. Reflect on the inequities in your current grading practices.
3. Apply grading strategies that can make your course more equitable.

Fulfills

Duration: 4 Weeks

Time Commitment: approximately 10 hours per week, for a total of 40 hours 

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate. To get the most from this course, you should have strong familiarity with online teaching and with Canvas. For those who have never taught online, it is highly recommended you take Introduction to Course Design and Introduction to Canvas before beginning this course. 

Optional Continuing Education Credit

Participants in this course can seek optional graduate-level university units by dual-enrolling in HBM 1659 at Fresno Pacific University. A separate fee due to FPU will apply.