Wow! That sounds harsh to ask something and in return for an answer provide a lower grade and quit your committee! You are correct for sure, that is not a way to motivate. I wonder if you think there may be a better way, apart from what Dr. K does in his class, what would you want to do to motivate students to learn in yours?

I’m never the one to know answers for sure. I wonder however, what would happen in your class if you ask them whether your feedback is valued, needed…however you wanted to phrase that. I think you’d probably get a wide range. Now if you want them to care about the feedback you give then what do you do? How would you alter or fine tune the way you facilitate learning in your classes for that?…Probably more questions than answers….sorry!

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I totally agree with this statement.: “I do not want to grade them, but I must. We are both in a dynamic that neither of us wants to be in”. The problem with grading is not a problem with a method, it’s a problem with a culture, the one that the students and instructors are trapped in.
One example of an educational system that has overcome this culture is Sudbury school.
You might find their idea very interesting. Here is a very short video to give everybody a taste of what it looks like:

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I understand your point. It’s a matter of cultural change not just a simple act of change in method. As you mentioned the university and the whole academic culture is functioning based on the concept of some sort of grade, comparison, ranking. Also, students don’t know why they would do anything if it’s not graded UNLESS they do really care about it. But are we providing the safe and comfortable enough environment for students to have space to explore and discover? Maybe is not only about grading or not, maybe we should adopt a whole new approach to education.

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Thank you for your post. I agree with you and of course, we all have heard about the incompatibility of reward and punishment (specifically the role of grades) with the skills that our students need to obtain to be effective members of the society. As you also mentioned, I have been thinking that how to put this in practice. Maybe it’s not possible with the current structure of academia and schooling system when GRE and SAT are important factors of getting into a program. I cannot think of any class that I have taken that did not assign a grade to any project, or assignment, no matter how wonderful the experience of sitting in class has been, and regardless of the format of the course. Even now, the main reason behind blogging and commenting for many of us is because it is part of the grade! So I would love to hear your ideas of how to remove grading and still be part of the whole academic system.

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I agree with your comments about studying for a test and missing valuable information. However, I decided to find out about the student benefits of testing. I found a newspaper article about a Purdue University study, which claimed testing helps with recalling information (Belluck, 2011). The study “found that students who read a passage, then took a test asking them to recall what they had read, retained about 50 percent more of the information a week later than students who used two other methods” (Belluck, 2011). The reason for why testing helps is not known (Belluck, 2011). “Why retrieval testing helps is still unknown. Perhaps it is because by remembering information we are organizing it and creating cues and connections that our brains later recognize” (Belluck, 2011).
Belluck, P. (2011, January 20). To Really Learn, Quit Studying and Take a Test. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/science/21memory.html

Robert, thank you for your post! I completely agree, testing is a HORRIBLE way to assess student’s learning. In the words of my students today, it’s absolute trash. Testing places an immense amount of pressure on the students to succeed, to be a statistic, not to learn and retain information but rather “learn” and regurgitate information. Personally, I always enjoyed essay questions on exams as opposed to multiple choice but in an essay, I can provide evidence as well as an explanation for why I’m writing what I’m writing. I agree, the educational system needs a shake up when it comes to assessment and evaluation of our students. I hope this new eve of educators is ready to challenge the status quo. I truly believe that if enough people make some noise, things will begin to change.

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That is amazing! I really needed to hear from someone that had experienced that kind of assessment system.

Thank you for your post! The example that Kohn uses in his article is one that a professor used with me while I was taking his class at community college. We had a series of assignments throughout the course, each one building on the assignment before. The class was a communications class focusing on interpersonal relationships. At the end of the course, we had to schedule an individual 1:1 (one-on-one) meeting with our professor in which we evaluated our coursework and determined my final grade together. As an 18 year old, that was terrifying but also super exciting. I knew that as long as I participated in class and completed my assignments following the guidelines, I knew I was going to do well. Having the option to control my own outcome of the class (e.g. my grade) was very empowering and an experience that I’ll never forget. I wish more professors took this approach in the classroom with their students. Giving students that ownership creates buy-in, buy-on creates an atmosphere/dynamic in which students want to do well and want to engage in the classroom. Sounds like a win/win situation to me!

Matt, you’re completely correct. When I first hear assessment I have horrible flashbacks to two classes that I literally spent every class period terrified of for a year.
As far as grades, assessment and evaluation, I believe that you’re correct that student’s don’t perform as well because they are under such immense amounts of pressure. I think much like how our knowledge was gauged/tested in assessment written papers, classroom discussion of readings and possibly an oral “exam” or presentation would be the best way for professors to ascertain how much knowledge students actually have about a particular subject. Not all students test well and for that to be the predominately measure used in the classroom is not right or fair. Yes we have disability services, but only allowing students more time on a test doesn’t work if they don’t test well. Professors should exercise autonomy for students and allow them to learn mindfully in the classroom. I believe that if they make meaning for themselves, they’ll be more likely to not only learn but also retain the information that they’re learning.