Faculty say:
“The results I’ve seen are powerful and career changing. I will never return to traditional grading.”
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Organizing a community of practice?
Organizing a community of practice?
One of the best ways to support faculty implementation of nontraditional grading practices is through the sustained professional development of a community of practice (CoP), faculty or professional learning community, or a similar structure. These groups meet regularly for a specified amount of time, focus on learning, and often have a deliverable. Groups provide supportive accountability - a place to ask questions and seek input.
What is a Community of Practice?
According to Wegner and Trayner, communities of practice “are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.” It’s not a committee or a task force with a charge; instead, it’s a group committed to learning in community.
Faculty say:
"I really value the opportunity to meet and talk in small groups with colleagues from across the state. I've learned a lot (both at the practical, implementation level and also at the theoretical level)."
Depending on your purpose, a CoP can be a fantastic way to gather people together to learn in community. Groups may include exploratory first steps for people interested (but not yet convinced) or faculty implementing nontraditional policies and looking for peer feedback. Here are sample invitations and resource documents for these collaborative faculty work groups, supporting the exploration and application of nontraditional grading practices.
If your colleagues need convincing, share with them the highlights from our survey of ACI project participants. Just send us an email and we will share the file with you. We know faculty voices matter, and the document includes those voices that confirm: it's worth the effort.
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