Emily Pitts Donahoe shares what we can learn about grades from an “emerging failure” on episode 588 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast.

They introduced a framework that attempts to identify the common features of alternative grading for growth systems that are meant to prioritize student growth and student learning over just grades and performance.

Those four pillars are marks that indicate progress, reattempts without penalty, clearly defined standards, and helpful feedback.

One of the most important functions of grades or marks given on individual assignments is to communicate to students about how they’re progressing in a certain subject. Traditional grades don’t serve this communicative function very well.