Join us from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday, April 19 for a virtual panel conversation with current Iowa graduate students and faculty about their experiences trying alternative assessment and grading practices. 

In this panel, Sarah Barringer (English) and Cole Denisen (Higher Education and Student Affairs), current Center for Teaching Graduate Teaching Fellows, and members of the Assessing Assessment for Equity and Student Motivation Faculty Learning Community will discuss graduate teaching assistants’ process of and experience with using alternative grading methods. They will also explore the support that a TA may need to foster equitable assessment in their teaching practice. 

Sarah and Cole each approached equitable grading through a different path but with a similar motivation: the desire to help students focus on learning rather than grades. 

"Exploring alternative assessment as a grad student has allowed me to develop my teaching philosophy, and my students have found a lot of value in alternative assessment,” says Sarah Barringer. 

Both Sarah and Cole underscore the importance of mentorship about what is allowed, encouraged, or required of graduate student instructors.

The Assessing Assessment for Equity and Student Motivation Faculty Learning Community (FLC) explores strategies for ensuring equity in assessment and helping students move away from grade-centered motivations. One of this FLC’s goals is to help more graduate students learn about equitable grading practices and facilitate a campus culture where everyone feels able to try them out regardless of teaching role.

Please register online if you plan to attend the session.