DiscoverTeaching in Higher EdLearning About Grades from an Emerging Failure and Special Guest Emily Donahoe
Learning About Grades from an Emerging Failure and Special Guest Emily Donahoe

Learning About Grades from an Emerging Failure and Special Guest Emily Donahoe

Update: 2025-09-18
Share

Description

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


Quotes from the episode


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.


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.

-Emily Donahoe


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

-Emily Donahoe


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.

-Emily Donahoe



Resources



Comments 
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

Learning About Grades from an Emerging Failure and Special Guest Emily Donahoe

Learning About Grades from an Emerging Failure and Special Guest Emily Donahoe

Bonni Stachowiak with Emily Pitts Donahoe