Why do we award grades? Do they really improve learning?
Research shows that in the short-term, grades do indeed improve learning outcomes…on standardized tests.
But when it comes to retaining information, thinking critically, recalling concepts later on, and applying + transferring learning to new contexts, grades are proven to be very ineffectual.
There’s a much more powerful, research-based alternative.
Feedback and Critique.
But it’s not only learning outcomes that improve when we offer feedback and critique in our classrooms. Learners also demonstrate greater cooperation, trust, and intrinsic motivation.
Here’s an anecdote from a high school English classroom that demonstrates ways to foster it…
Student-Centered Pracitioner Gary Heidt, founder of Nova Lab and High School English Teacher made the decision to go gradeless when he saw that his students were overly stressed and “just checking achievement boxes, climbing each ladder so they could get to the next.”
He noticed it “wasn’t really about learning or things they wanted to do, it was just about reaching the next tick box.”
Gary replaced tick boxes with a system of ongoing feedback, narrative comments, and peer review. Students would no longer receive grades on intermediary tasks for longer term writing assignments or projects, but rather feedback on how to improve their work for subsequent drafts.
They kept track of each draft in dynamic digital portfolios. To manage the process and keep track of individual progress, students used dynamic Kanban boards to mark tasks that were planned, being worked on, or completed. They presented their growth in dynamic ‘Presentations of Learning’ at the end of each semester.
And while Gary explains that it took time to adapt to an ungraded system, the results were incredible. Students sought out feedback for work on their own, demonstrated significant growth, and in formal “pitches” could articulate exactly what they were learning in class.
Gary retells the story of one former student, now at the top of her class in University, who wrote a letter thanking him for “asking for her thoughts, and listening to them.” She goes on, “You taught us that everyone is constantly improving. You taught us not like children, but like high-minded people.”
As a student-centered practitioner, what resonates most with you? How might you implement ongoing feedback and critique in your classroom in the 2024-2025 school year?
Get More Help With Shift #8: From Teacher Assessed – – – – > Self, Peer and Expert Feedback and Critique
The excerpt above is from Chapter 9 of my new book, ‘Where is the Teacher: 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments’ scheduled for release in Early August.
- Get your hands on the first copy and gain more stories of inspiration, and strategies for immediate use here: https://tinyurl.com/12shiftspreorder
- Attend the Launch Party and connect with more student-centered practitioners worldwide! tinyurl.com/12shiftslaunchparty
Now, time to get back to that afternoon nap you never had time for during the school year.
Enjoy your Summer Holiday!
Your [co] learning experience designer,
