ETE Conf 2025 | Competency-Based Teaching: An Alternative to Traditional Grading скачать в хорошем качестве

ETE Conf 2025 | Competency-Based Teaching: An Alternative to Traditional Grading

Presented by: Marlene Graf In recent years, the limitations and problems of traditional grading and percentage scores have been highlighted and discussed in various educational circles. Conventional grading sometimes emphasizes performance and test scores over the learning process and may undermine intrinsic motivation. Letter grades and number scores can also dilute feedback quality, discourage risk-taking and growth, and stifle creativity and critical thinking skills. Despite this, letter grades continue to be the most common way of assessing student learning in higher education. Even at institutions where a traditional grading system is the norm, it’s still possible to incorporate non-grading elements into a course. One alternative approach is competency-based learning (also referred to as standards-based learning or mastery learning). In a self-paced mastery model, students must achieve a certain level of competence on a skill or task before advancing to the next. Proponents of this type of learning explain that it helps prevent lingering skill gaps, builds student confidence and durable skills, and prepares students for future careers. This session will address the pros and cons of traditional grading and the pros and cons of alternatives like competency-based learning. This session will also include specific examples of ways to implement competency-based learning into a course and discuss alternative ways to assess student learning and growth.