Dr JRN's Office Hours: Ungrading Bibliography -

Updated as of 16 Jun 22

The following are freely available, online sources that I have found or have been turned on to (especially by my friends on Twitter). While I will continue to update this list, I am also working on annotating this bibliography and will post the results here, turning this simple bibliography into an annotated bibliography. More to come.

Ako, Wahanga Whakapakari. “Assessment Matters: Self-Assessment and Peer Assessment”

While more instructors have created "student-centered" learning environments, those have typically only included the learning part of the process. This essay asks readers to look at the assessment part of the process. And, specifically, to consider the use of self-assessment and peer-assessment tools. He defines self-assessment and then offers fourteen (14) reasons why instructors should consider self-assessment. The author goes into depth describing how to implement self-assessment. Finally, hr offers examples. He does the same for peer assessment.

Ashe, Diana. et al. “Alternative Grading Strategies.” UNCW Center for Teaching Excellence

The authors present their information in bullet points. Something akin to what you might see on a poorly constructed PowerPoint (too many words). Topics include an overview of grading strategies, criterion-referenced grading, specifications grading, contract grading, and ungrading. The other grading methods are similar to ungrading, or even a form of ungrading. The ungrading section only contains a list of three sources: 2 blogs and 1 essay.

Bali, Maha. “Reflections on Ungrading for the 4th time,”

The author examines what went right and what needs to be further addressed in this essay that covers experiences after the fourth semester of ungrading. For example, the author notes the need to offer verbal and written responses to student work, but on the other hand, must negotiate with students when they inflate their grades (those undeserved As). This is an important essay for neophytes because the insights provide a roadmap to beginning ungrading as well as what to expect (both positive and negative).

Bali, Maha “Ungrading My Class – Reflections on a Second Iteration,”

The author tried ungrading suddenly, in the middle of a semester, without providing much scaffolding or guidance. Most of the students gave themselves As. And so, the author needed to come up with a manner that would facilitate meaningful and accurate reflections. This is an excellent article for those interested in exactly what not to do, how not to start ungrading. But, the essay is also important becase it demonstrates how to save that ship once it hits the iceberg.

Baylor. “Ungrading” Baylor Academy for Teaching and Learning

The essay begins by defining why we grade, and why we should ungrade. The essay describes ungrading examples and practices (contract grading, portfolios, self-evaluation, to name a few). Concisely, the essay declares that ungrading is "a pedagogical paradigm with implications for every classroom process, potentially creating more effective learning environments and freeing instructors to focus more on supporting learning." The essay is well-cited, using 12 sources, which are listed at the end (see if you can use those sources).

Beck, Hall., et al. “The Relations of Learning and Grade Orientations to Academic Performance”

This is an old (1991) article, but even in the "olden days" the data shows that students who focus on non-grade-based learning assessments enjoy the class more and do better than in traditional classes with letter grades. This article will be enjoyed by folks who like data.

Belchetz, Michelle. et al. “Ch. II On (Un)grading” in On Assessment

This chapter in an e-book On Assessment examines various aspects of ungrading. Belchetz looks at the intersection of motivation and grading. Students are not motivated by grades inasmuch as they are by learning. D'Souza looks at assessment in a multicultural environment: specifically social, political, and cultural factors. MacKenzie wonders what others think about ungrading. She offers some quotes from leaders in the ungrading movement, as well as a short bibliography. But the interesting part is a survey she's created for students and faculty to obtain their views on ungrading: something you could give to your students (and colleagues). Finally, Zhu was a student who writes about her experiences in taking an ungrading class. She supports the idea that grades are psychologically harmful and so ungrading helps students in several ways: their mental health and in support of their learning.

Benz, Gina. “Going Gradeless:A Liberation from Anxiety,”

Benz begins by talking about the mental health crisis of high school and college undergraduates. They feel stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed. That seemed to be attributed, at least in part, due to competition for higher and higher grades. And she too felt that anxiety. So she tried the ungrading model. She discovered ungrading mirrored Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Blackwelder, Aaron. “Focusing on Feedback Over Grades”

The pressure to achieve causes anxiety. Grades are not the best tools to encourage learning. Maybe a digital portfolio will replace grades, but Blackwelder emphacizes the need for frequent feedback.

Blum, Susan. “Ungrading.”

Blum argues that grades are inconsistent with educational success. Grades cause anxiety. They are not a reflection of knowledge acquired, and grades do not motivate students. Students look upon edcation as a game, collecting grades not knowledge. Her findings are that ungrading does just the opposite. She also offers some comments for the ungrading skeptics.

Bolyard, Chloe. “Ungrading: Shifting the Classroom Focus Back to Learning.”

Buchs, Celine. “Why Grades Engender Performance-Avoidance Goals”

Buck, David Crowdsourcing Ungrading

Bull, Bernard. “7 Reasons Why the Conditions are Right for a Learning Beyond Letter Grades Revolution,”

Burtis, Martha Fay. “Ungrading: A ChapBook”

Chiaravalli, Author. “How I Go Gradeless”

Clark, David “Assessing My First Semester of Ungrading” EdSurge Jan 17^th, 2022

Covington, Nick. “What’s in a Grade?”

“In Your Opinion What Matters?”

Cummings, Lance. “3 Ways to Ungrade Student Work”

Davidhizer, Megan. “6 Steps to Going Gradeless”

Davidson, Cathy. “How to Crowdsource Grading”

“Contract Grading and Peer Review” Blog post 16 Aug 2015

Digital Pedagogies at VIU “Assessment and Ungrading”

Dosmar, Emily and Williams, Julia “Decentering to Communicate” Teachers Going Gradeless.

Elbow, Peter. “Grading Student Writing: Making it Simpler, Fairer, Clearer”

“Minimal Grading.”

Ranking, Evaluating, Liking: Sorting Out Three Forms of Judgement”

Flaherty, Colleen. “When Grading Less is More.” Inside Higher Ed 2 Apr 2019

French, Abigail, et al. The Ungrading Handbook

Gibbs, Laura. “Getting Rid of Grades (book chapter).” OU Digital Teaching. 15 March 19.

“(Un)Grading: It Can Be Done in College”

“Ungrading for More/Better Feedback”

Gonzalez, Jennifer. Handout: Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half by Cult of Pedagogy

Guberman, Daniel. “Student Perceptions of an Online Ungraded Course”

Guskey, Thomas. “Grades Versus Comments: Research on Student Feedback,”

Hoffman, Lainie, et al. “Ungrading: A Discussion,” Univ Colorado

Housiaux, Andy. “The Power of Ungrading,”

Human Restoration Project Ungrading Handbook

Hurley, Jennifer “Is Throwing Out Grades Too Idealistic?”

Inoue, Asao B. “A Q&A on Labor-based Grading”

Inside Higher Ed “When Grading Less in More”

Jester, Bennett “The Apathy Problem,”

Kat, Vera. “Gradeless Class”

Kettner-Thompson, Rachael. “5 Reasons to Go Gradeless”

Knaack, Liesel. “Untangling Grades from Feedback: Ungrading a Course.” Digital Pedagogies at VIU, 17 Jan. 2019

Koenka, Alison, et al. “A meta-analysis on the impact of grades and comments on academic motivation and achievement: a case for written feedback”

"This research synthesis examined the impact of grades, comments, and no performance feedback on academic motivation and achievement in elementary and secondary school. Four meta-analyses were conducted, with two each exploring the impact of (a) grades versus no performance feedback and (b) grades versus comments on academic motivation and achievement, respectively. Overall results indicated that grades positively influenced achievement but negatively influenced motivation compared to no feedback. However, compared to those who received comments, students receiving grades had poorer achievement and less optimal motivation."

Kohn, Alfie “From Degrading to De-Grading”

“Grading: The Issue is Not How but Why”

“The Trouble with Rubrics”

“The Case Against Grades”

Kunnath, Joshua “The Low-hanging Fruit of Grading Reform: Eliminating the Zero,”

Leboff, Danielle. “No Grades. No Problem.” Top Hat blog

Lee, Laura. “Methods for Managing Late Work,”

Locke, Karen. “Introducing the Gradeless Classroom to Students”

Luxon, Emily. “Ungrading Doesn’t Necessarily Mean No Grades”

Mackenzie, Allison. Ungrading: What Will People Think? Ch. 6, On Assessment: An Exploration of Emerging Approaches

Marzano, Robert. “Tips from Dr. Marzano: Formative Assessment & Standards-Based Grading,”

Mayer, Erin. “The Road to Gradeless,”