The Grading Conference

That is so exciting!

A thing to note about AI use in writing: AI's will tend to suggest edits in ESWE (Edited Standard Written English). Need to teach students that this is happening to allow them agency to make an informed choice about using the suggested edits.

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At a talk: Joy Against the Machine: Integrating Self-Assessment to Create "AI Resistant" Writing

Strategy to address AI risk factors: Make the problem into the solution. Written self-assessments and other projects allow students to shape content and assess their own learning.

#thegradingconference

When you engage in deep learning, you actively reach for and
repeat skills that you want to build by paying extra special
attention to your performance during each repetition. 2/2

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More from Jeff: Let’s define deep learning to be learning that involves anintense, distraction-free focus on growing your abilities by pushing beyond the limits of your current capacity. 1/2

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This conference is evidence that learning how to implement alt grading is a long, slow process of unlearning & reframing how to see students & learning. It's also evidence that 100s of educators & students across disciplines who are deeply committed to learning have been let down by grades.

@thegradingconference.com #TheGradingConference

(Hate it when I forget the hashtags)

Today's keynote by Jeff Anderson: Let’s define learning as a growth process that happens inside your body & leads to changes in your knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, or attitudes. These transformations occur based on your experiences & increase your potential for improved performance & future learning

Several talk are giving results and research about specific implementations of alt grading in STEM classes. It's great to see people who came to the grading conference in previous years come back with the results of what they tried. Love this community!

#thegradingconference

Another great day at #TheGradingConference! Currently at a panel of students, learning what alt-grading looks like from their end. #ungrading

Heard around the "watercooler" at the grading conference:

Alt Grading is a gateway drug to systemic change in education.

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Would love to know more about the kinds of growth you saw!

That depends. Many of the students want to go to med school, which has apparently transitioned into a highly published activity (while in school).

Talking about writing in Science

Q: Is there a problem?
A: Writing in lower-division science courses is underemphasized. Students are underprepared for upper-division courses to

write reports and correspondence
publish in peer-reviewed journals.

#TheGradingConference

How does alt grading become sustainable? Intentionally teaching the next generation of instructors about grading philosophies and pedagogy. Two different sessions on training GTAs at this year's conference!!

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Lot's of conversation about grading writing this year, as well as critical pedagogy around both writing and STEM disciplines. It's amazing to see the cross-pollination of disciplines here!!

#TheGradingConference

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@asaoInoue says "Grades must be absent" @ #TheGradingConference

#ungrading

Equity-Minded Pedagogy vs. Emancipatory Pedagogy There are many current descriptors that are floating around SOTL, DBER, and STEM educational research spaces, each trying to accurately capture some difference in pedagogies: culturally related/res…

Did I write a thing in anticipation of #TheGradingConference and specifically for my fellow ungraders who are part of the SCIENCE Collaborative who are attending? Yes, yes I did.

Y’all are gonna let me know your thoughts below, right? RIGHT?!? 😈🫶🏼

clarissasorensenunruh.com/2025/06/10/e...

Session "Special topics: Neurodiversity" at #TheGradingConference:

@sarahesilverman.bsky.social making the point that #AltGrading *can* provide a "tolerance for error" that is often needed when neurodivergent students are trying to communicate with neurotypical instructors or vice versa.

#TheGradingConference is starting its 6th online incarnation and there are almost 1000 people registered! Their mission is ambitious : systemic change at all levels of education!

What are your results?

In four years there have only been 2 students who I haven't been able to get across the finish line.

(Out of over 550 students, Gen Chem)

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Dr. Tanner: Things I learned along the way...

If you just ask for corrections, it doesn't replicate - they have to sit a new exam.

If you put the exams online, it doesn't replicate.

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Dr. Tanner: What do I think made it work?

Retakes were highly diagnostic - I could pinpoint almost immediately which concepts weren't there yet.

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"Dr. Tanner has made me see that the term "scientist" encompasses so much more - it also describes every person who walks through the door of [our classroom]."

#TheGradingConference

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Student reactions: "I did not think that I would enjoy learning about Chemistry but this class proved me wrong."

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Student reactions: "I felt I actually learning to understand instead of memorize".

#TheGradingConference

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"In a single semester, I had 772 retakes, which equates to 38,600 minutes of bonus chemistry problems!"

#TheGradingConference

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"What did I do? Unlimited retakes for the 4 in-class cumulative multiple choice exams"

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"Not all my students share my deep love of Chemistry (at the beginning!)"

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Incredible keynote this morning by Dr. Eden Tanner from the University of Mississippi. Let's share some key quotes!

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