(120e) Adventures in Ungrading Material and Energy Balances

The alternative assessment termed “ungrading” is a method in which achievement of learning outcomes is determined by some means other than quantitatively scored exams. Many faculty remain skeptical of such an approach, particularly for courses that serve as pre-requisites for others. This work provides examples of three iterations of implementing an ungrading mechanism in a material and energy balances course. The objectives of the ungrading experiment were to reinforce problem-solving skills through student reflection, to promote deeper and longer-term learning by eliminating the focus on scheduled exams, to improve trust and communication between students and the instructor, and to reduce student stress.

Student achievement of learning objectives was evaluated based on solving problems from sets that were distributed as we progressed through the course material. These were submitted weekly or biweekly, and the instructor met with each student to discuss their work and assess their mastery of the learning objectives. In the first course, without specific deadlines to master a topic, they still submitted a significant number of problems each week, and if they didn’t feel they had reached mastery they would ask for additional problems to work so that they could continue to improve. The objectives were met, but the instructor saw opportunities to incorporate some “guardrails” to reinforce the expectations of professional behavior. In the second course offering, limits were set on final grade achievement based on timely submission of some additional materials including class preparation assignments, ethics discussion posts and SAChE modules. A student assistant was employed to give detailed feedback on submitted problems. Despite the additional structure added to the course design, this new group of students did not respond with the same level of responsibility as the first, and the learning achieved did not meet that of the first group.

Informed by the first two experiments, the third iteration of the ungrading experiment in material and energy balances built in an additional level of accountability for independent learning. Some deadlines for completing problems from chapter sets were established, still allowing enough time for flexible learning schedules. Additionally, comprehensive reflections on accomplishment of the course learning objectives covered in each chapter were required at the completion of each chapter, reinforcing the student responsibility for their achievement.

It should be noted that the class sizes in this study were too small for effective quantitative surveys. Thus, this work is largely a reflection of the instructor experience, with mostly anecdotal evidence of student achievement and perceptions. Still, as such, it serves as an example of continuous improvement in course design based on informed innovation, mindful observation, and reflective adjustment.