Abstract
A group of faculty members representing more than 20 courses listed in the Eastern Kentucky University General Education curriculum participated in a pilot program to test and measure the effectiveness of “ungraded” pedagogy. “Ungrading,” as defined by the group, can be any conscious effort to move student emphasis away from grades and onto learning. Given this definition, ungrading took many forms in the pilot: gradeless classrooms, grading contracts, and greater choice of assignments by students, to name a few. At the end of the semester, quantitative and qualitative data was gathered from student course evaluations; DFW and retention rates were considered; and focus groups comprised of students in ungraded classes were convened. This piece provides preliminary results from the pilot and in an effort to begin a larger conversation about the widespread adoption of ungraded pedagogies.
Author Biography
Stacey J. Korson is an Associate Professor of Literacy Education at Eastern Kentucky University. Her research focuses on the use and selection of children’s literature in the classroom, students’ response to literature, critical content analysis of packaged literacy curricula, and preservice teacher preparation. Dr. Korson teaches literacy courses across programs focused on foundations, instruction, assessment, and children’s literature. She has won several awards from the College and University for her teaching. She is a proud first-generation college student and McNair scholar. Dr. Korson earned a B.S. and M.S. in Education from the University of Central Missouri and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
Travis L. Martin, PhD, is founding director of the Kentucky Center for Veterans Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. He has established several nationally recognized programs to support returning veterans in higher education and the non-profit sector. A scholar of American literature, psychoanalytic trauma theory, and social theory, Dr. Martin presents frequently at conferences and universities. He has published dozens of research articles and creative short works on veterans’ issues. A former sergeant in the U.S. Army, he served during two deployments in the Iraq War (2003-04 & 2005). His book War and Homecoming: Veteran Identity and the Post-9/11 Generation was published with the University Press of Kentucky in 2022. He resides in Richmond, KY.
Matthew P. Winslow is a Professor of Psychology at Eastern Kentucky University. He helped found the Faculty Innovator program at EKU, and has facilitated more than 40 professional development workshops, professional learning communities, and has presented about teaching and learning at more than 20 conferences, both in the U.S. and internationally. Dr. Winslow has won numerous awards for his in-person and online teaching, and the 2017 Acorn Award, a state-wide competition of excellence in the professoriate open to all higher education institutions in Kentucky. Dr. Winslow earned a B.A. from Macalester College, an M.A. from UC Santa Cruz, and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.
Alison Buck is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Eastern Kentucky University. She serves as the Program Coordinator for Sociology. Her research focuses on the reproduction of inequality across different organizational contexts, including within college classrooms and she has published several articles on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Dr. Buck earned a B.A. from Guilford College and an M.S. and Ph.d. from North Carolina State University.
Kaitlynn Moody is a current M.A. student at Eastern Kentucky University. Her research focuses on First-Year Writing courses at EKU that utilize ungrading methods to determine students' attitudes and engagement with the courses. She attends the Professional Learning Community meetings facilitated by Dr. Winslow and earned her B.A. from the University of Louisville.
Author's Notes
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Stacey Korson, Eastern Kentucky University, 521 Lancaster Ave., Richmond, KY, 40475. Stacey.Korson@eku.edu.
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Ungrading General Education: Preliminary Results from a Pilot Study
A group of faculty members representing more than 20 courses listed in the Eastern Kentucky University General Education curriculum participated in a pilot program to test and measure the effectiveness of “ungraded” pedagogy. “Ungrading,” as defined by the group, can be any conscious effort to move student emphasis away from grades and onto learning. Given this definition, ungrading took many forms in the pilot: gradeless classrooms, grading contracts, and greater choice of assignments by students, to name a few. At the end of the semester, quantitative and qualitative data was gathered from student course evaluations; DFW and retention rates were considered; and focus groups comprised of students in ungraded classes were convened. This piece provides preliminary results from the pilot and in an effort to begin a larger conversation about the widespread adoption of ungraded pedagogies.
