Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2025
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Department/Major
Education
First Advisor
Dr. Jing Williams
Second Advisor
Dr. Monica Iverson
Third Advisor
Dr. Erin Lehmann
Keywords
ungrading, feedback-driven assessment, student-teacher interactions, intrinsic motivation, mental health
Subject Categories
Curriculum and Instruction | Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Higher Education
Abstract
This qualitative case study investigates the impact of ungrading in higher education at University A (pseudonym). The participants included seven students and three professors actively involved in ungraded courses. Positive outcomes are reported by both students and professors. Student participants felt that ungrading offered them more ownership in learning and less fear of making mistakes because they could apply feedback to improve their work rather than simply receiving numeric scores. The interviewed professors shared that ungrading allowed them to hold meaningful conversations with their students and helped them develop intrinsic motivation with academic material. Overall, in comparison to traditionally graded courses, ungrading positively influenced students and faculty at the university. Given this is a case study, a small sample size was used. To determine the effectiveness of ungrading on a larger scale, a greater number of diverse participants would be beneficial in further projects.
Recommended Citation
Creviston, Brooke M., "A Case Study of Ungrading on Student Learning in Higher Education" (2025). Honors Thesis. 367.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/367
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Higher Education Commons