Learning Beyond Letter Grades

Why do so many schools use letter grades? Where did they come from? What do they tell us and fail to tell us about the learners? What is the relationship between letter grades, student learning, and assessment? This six-week course will allow participants to carefully consider the history, benefits, limitations, and alternatives to using letter grades in learning environments. It will include reflection about the role of formative and summative assessment, strategies for leveraging technology for assessment, as well as exploration of authentic and alternative assessments. Other topics will include peer assessment, badges, self-assessment, and a variety of feedback sources in learning environments. As a way to develop a deeper understanding of the subject, participants will experiment with different forms of assessment and examine a variety of real world examples of learning organizations that do not use letter grades. This course is designed for individuals who aspire to work in a variety of learning organizations. Prior knowledge about curriculum development and designing lessons or learning experiences is helpful, but not required. Students will have an opportunity to earn digital badges in this course.