Alternative Grading Schemes

Alternative approaches to grading have recently increased in popularity. Alternative grading schemes offer greater flexibility and customization than traditional methods, which made them particularly appealing to instructors as a response to the challenges of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. In general, alternative grading schemes prioritize transparency, a growth/progress orientation to learning, alignment between learning objectives and assessment practices, increased communication between instructors and students, and reduced power imbalances between the same. Despite these similarities, alternative grading schemes differ in the details. This document summarizes a few alternatives to traditional grading processes and compares/contrasts the specifics of each approach.