Making Grades
"The history of grades reflects the interplay between the work of the classroom and society at large" (Schneider & Hutt, 2014, p. 202).
Welcome to Making Grades: A Brief History of Grading in US Higher Education. Please watch the following brief, introductory video before continuing on to the learning activity.
Grades are an almost universal presence across all facets of education in the United States. Because of this, it is easy to assume that grades have always been a part of the process, that they have always looked the same, that they have neither changed nor evolved over time...when in fact, each of these assumptions is incorrect. In this learning activity you will explore the history of grading systems in use in U.S. higher education, examine primary sources from several institutions, review challenges with grading systems, and think about the future of grading in higher education.
There are three primary sections, "Grading Systems," "Challenges," and "The Future of Grading." You can access each section via the icons at the bottom of each page, or via the navigation pane at the very top of the page. Within each section there may be several pages with activities or opportunities for reflection. You may visit each in any order you wish. Please don't spend more than 7-9 minutes on any individual section.
