A Study of Ungrading in Upper-level Political Theory Courses
By Stefan Kehlenbach, University of Toronto
Standard teaching modalities are not designed with student learning in mind. Many of us learned to teach by doing, thrust into a classroom as a graduate student, and forced to make it up as we go. This leads to classrooms dominated by multiple choice tests, punitive grading systems, and a focus on memorization. Ungrading provides an alternative to this system for instructors who want to experiment with developing a more open, collaborative classroom structure.
Ungrading is a pedagogical tool rooted in simple observations. Grades are not effective at motivating student learning, reflect implicit biases, and can even lead to cheating. Drawing from the works of Paulo Freire, bell hooks and others, ungrading looks to reclaim the classroom as a site of learning and resistance. It accomplishes this by avoiding or eliminating strict quantitative grades, instead replacing them with written feedback and self-evaluations.
However, there has been little written about using this pedagogy in political science classrooms, and nothing about political theory. Political theory provides an idea case for political theory, as the study and interpretation of texts lends itself well to broad and multifaceted interpretations with no single “correct answers.”
In my ungraded classroom, students do not receive letter grades, completion percentages or even pass/fail designations on their work. Instead, I provide detailed feedback on their assignments, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of their submissions, and chart a path for improvement. Along the way they complete a number of self-evaluations to help track their progress and keep them engaged with the process of learning.
I used an ungrading pedagogy in three separate upper-level political theory courses, where students were trusted to complete the assigned readings and be prepared for an open discussion of the material in the classroom. Overall, an ungrading pedagogy led to more student participation, and students came to class more prepared and more engaged than in previous, traditionally graded courses that I have taught.
Students also grasped the purpose of ungrading quickly. Despite some initial trepidation, as reported in their self-evaluations, students reported that they were excited to try something new, and found the trust placed in them to do the work, invigorating. At the conclusion of the class, students reported that they had worked harder than in previous classes and were prouder of their accomplishments, precisely because they were accountable only to themselves.
Overall, ungrading is a rewarding, yet challenging pedagogical structure. Used properly, it can increase student engagement and allow students to reclaim agency
The Journal of Political Science Education is an intellectually rigorous, path-breaking, agenda-setting journal that publishes the highest quality scholarship on teaching and pedagogical issues in political science. The journal aims to represent the full range of questions, issues and approaches regarding political science education, including teaching-related issues, methods and techniques, learning/teaching activities and devices, educational assessment in political science, graduate education, and curriculum development.