Teaching in Higher Ed
Teaching in Higher Ed
Bonni Stachowiak
Learning About Grades from an Emerging Failure and Special Guest Emily Donahoe
47 minutes Posted Sep 18, 2025 at 12:00 pm.
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Show notes

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

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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

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Resources

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