GRADES: What is ungrading and how is it implemented in this course?

In this course, we will adopt a novel teaching approach that emphasizes individual learning and self-assessment over standardized and regimented forms of evaluation. Captured under the title of "ungrading", this approach means that we will eschew grades in favor of feedback and conversation that speaks to your interests and the knowledge you are discovering and producing with the projects you will develop in this course. Grades are helpful, of course, yet as various studies show, they also hinder learning, lead to less engagement, divert attention towards specific targets, and create forms of competition that are not necessary or helpful. To be clear: you will have full power to grade your performance throughout this course in conversation with your instructor and peers. 

Although still mostly online, I want this move away from grades to foster collaboration, commitment, and experiential learning. Instead of focusing on reaching particular quantitative goals by guiding your attention towards (rather predictive) assignments, the adoption of an ungrading strategy invites you to engage more thoroughly with the course materials as a whole, to use the synchronous resources as moments for conversation and feedback, to engage with colleagues, and to explore cases that allow you to "get your hands dirty" in exploring the real world.

Practically, this means that the course will involve a combination of peer-feedback and peer-assessment, the development of individual portfolios and group projects, student-generated rubrics, and various opportunities for self-assessment and monitoring. My role as your instructor is to guide you through the field and make sure that you do not bump into difficulties, rather than to tell you which path you must follow and grade you on your deviations. If you feel you have learned much about the tensions and possibilities created by data in society as we complete the course, you will have done your part and your grade will fully reflect that fact. The only formally graded component (10%) are the weekly questions you will have to submit every Wednesday evening.