Hot take after years of ungrading:
Removing grades ≠ student agency.
Freedom without structure just creates anxiety.
This semester, I’m trying Ungrading 2.0:
• labor-based contracts
• student-chosen pathways
• research archives instead of quizzes
• AI as visible infrastructure
From performance → process
From compliance → authorship
Ungrading 1.0 removed obstacles.
Ungrading 2.0 builds better roads.
@Wiobyrne It’ll be interesting to see how this works for you. At my department (BFA and MFA in filmmaking) we have no grades at all—have never had them. And absolutely use constraints and structure actively to encourage student agency and learning within defined areas. The constraints are the key.
@fgraver thanks for this. Interested to learn more about the constraints and structures in place
@Wiobyrne We’re part of the European system of learning outcomes, and have found a way to make them work for us. We’re a fine arts school, and so can be practice-based and use that as an argument for not having any written work that is not directly relevant to the filmmaking discipines we teach (screenwriting, directing, producing, cinematography, production design, editing, sound).
We give the students assignments—for example, make a film 3-5 minutes long, 3 days filming, whereof 2 in studio, 1 on location, 7 days editing, 8 days sound design and mix—and then it’s up to them to create their projects within those constrainst AND to define (in dialogue with their professors) individual learning outcomes we call a «statement of intent». When we screen the finished film, with all students and staff present, they will talk about how their individual work contributed to the film as a whole and about their individual intentions and where they met and where they didn’t meet those intentions.
@econproph @fgraver hah! You don't need that in your life.
I would suggest joining us with the #SignpostSessions
I'll share the next step tomorrow morning.
