When done effectively, nontraditional grading methods can promote equity and help build an inclusive classroom. As with any shift in pedagogy, there are a number of questions to consider. This article summarizes four types of nontraditional grading and shares experiences from the authors who have applied them to a variety of courses in statistics.
In the college classroom, grades are the primary avenue by which we quantify and communicate student achievement. In setting up grading systems for our courses, we make countless decisions: Should the project be worth 25 or 30 percent of the final grade? Will I drop the lowest quiz score? What penalty (if any) should I implement for late work ? These seemingly small decisions can have a surprisingly large impact on the grades that we assign and the type of learning and understanding that we privilege. Thinking carefully about the way we grade is critical for JEDI-informed teaching of statistics. In recent years, I have been drastically and continually rethinking my approach to grading. At JSM 2023, I gave a talk about these efforts as part of the session "Power in the Classroom: From Helping Students Play the Game to Helping Students Change the Game." I am sharing the slides from this talk here.
In these slides, you will find: thoughts on the purpose of grades, the impact of grades, and why grading is an important consideration for JEDI-informed teaching; a brief discussion of the many problems with traditional grades (with suggested resources for further reading); three examples of changes I have implemented in introductory and advanced statistics courses at Macalester College; and reflections on what aspects of those changes worked... and what didn't. Additional resources and examples can be found at the "content resource" link.
When applying to an academic job, you may be asked to submit a written statement about your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Sometimes this statement is called a Diversity Statement or a DEI Statement. This statement tends to be a 1-2 page document that describes your experience in, commitment to, and vision for diversity, equity, and inclusion in a university or college setting. We describe DEI statements, their purpose, and why your DEI efforts matter.
Understanding that structural problems have created many of the systems which facilitate inequities in our communities is an important acknowledgement. However, many of us feel stuck and unable to change the policies and procedures which are part of our daily lives. It is worth pointing out that there is no silver bullet, and the work to be done is ongoing and takes all of us. If we are each able to make small changes, the work can come together to make big impacts. To this end, we’ve created a resource document with ideas on how you can work within your own community to push back on the status quo and to create an inclusive and equitable space for those around you.