McClam & Sevier (2010) - Troubles with grades, grading, and change

McClam, Sherie, & Sevier, Brian. (2010). Troubles with Grades, Grading, and Change: Learning from Adventures in Alternative Assessment Practices in Teacher Education. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 26(7), 1460-1470.

Applying Actor-Network Theory to Changing University Grading System

 * secretive attempt to change grading practice (i.e. student-assed grades) caused negative reaction in other professors
 * Felt like role as teachers threatened with their grading identity removed
 * Felt that student-assed grades not reliable across classes
 * Felt lack of grades threatened teacher and student identity (e.g. good or bad student/teacher)
 * Nervous about trusting students' judgement on grading themselves (and students trusting their own judgment)
 * Instead, change should...
 * Be collaborative and involve dialogue to determine primary purpose of network (i.e. why is it important to change grading system? What is the primary purpose of education?)
 * Also relates to teacher-student network - what do students and teachers want to get from the network relationship (i.e. class/school)? If the two primary goals are different, then there will be conflict/frustration
 * Be mindful of complex relations in teacher/school networks

Further Questions

 * How to disarm the "need" some students have for getting grades (especially good grades)?