David Clark
@dccmath.bsky.social
Mathematician at GVSU, but all views are my own. Author of Grading for Growth, the book and the blog!
Blog: https://gradingforgrowth.com/
Book: https://www.routledge.com/9781642673814
Info: https://sites.google.com/mail.gvsu.edu/clarkdav/
Blog: https://gradingforgrowth.com/
Book: https://www.routledge.com/9781642673814
Info: https://sites.google.com/mail.gvsu.edu/clarkdav/
Today on Grading for Growth, I write about the importance of sending a consistent message throughout your course design.
Here are some ways to support the message of alternative grading.
Here are some ways to support the message of alternative grading.
Pairs well with alternative grading
Supporting productive struggle by sending a consistent message
gradingforgrowth.com
February 16, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Today on Grading for Growth, I write about the importance of sending a consistent message throughout your course design.
Here are some ways to support the message of alternative grading.
Here are some ways to support the message of alternative grading.
Today on Grading for Growth, a guest post by Ainsley Vergara about her path to using alternative grading in Speech Pathology. gradingforgrowth.com/p/removing-t...
Removing the Training Wheels
How I shifted toward student self-assessment and collaborative grading in a pre-professional program
gradingforgrowth.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Today on Grading for Growth, a guest post by Ainsley Vergara about her path to using alternative grading in Speech Pathology. gradingforgrowth.com/p/removing-t...
Today on Grading for Growth, a guest post from Acacia Ackles about her own experience of teaching through trauma.
gradingforgrowth.com/p/teaching-t...
gradingforgrowth.com/p/teaching-t...
Teaching through trauma
How Grading for Growth Helped Save my Sanity
gradingforgrowth.com
January 26, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Today on Grading for Growth, a guest post from Acacia Ackles about her own experience of teaching through trauma.
gradingforgrowth.com/p/teaching-t...
gradingforgrowth.com/p/teaching-t...
Today on Grading for Growth: Halley McCormick describes how she introduces students to the ideas of alternative grading and reinforces those ideas throughout the semester.
Communicating Effectively with Students about Alternative Grading
Helping students track their grade and understand its meaning
gradingforgrowth.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Today on Grading for Growth: Halley McCormick describes how she introduces students to the ideas of alternative grading and reinforces those ideas throughout the semester.
It's a new year, and I'm in school planning today. Here are six bite-sized alternative grading ideas for the new year: gradingforgrowth.com/p/thoughts-f...
Thoughts for the new year
Bite-sized ideas on alternative grading in 2026
gradingforgrowth.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:44 PM
It's a new year, and I'm in school planning today. Here are six bite-sized alternative grading ideas for the new year: gradingforgrowth.com/p/thoughts-f...
I was thinking about writing something up about how I use "base groups" in classes. Turns out Sarah does almost exactly the same thing and has some excellent reflection on it.
A year-end post: reflecting on the use of sustained groups in collaborative activities (rather than switching up groups frequently).
beyondthescope.substack.com/p/you-again-...
beyondthescope.substack.com/p/you-again-...
You, again? On sustained groups for collaborative work
A question that I often ask myself at moments of taking stock (after a course, conference, trip, etc.) is: Who did you really get to know during this experience?
beyondthescope.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:01 PM
I was thinking about writing something up about how I use "base groups" in classes. Turns out Sarah does almost exactly the same thing and has some excellent reflection on it.
It's me! I wrote about how I use IBL, collaborative grading, and much more all together in my favorite course: Euclidean Geometry.
"Do All the Things: Inquiry-Based Learning with Teams, Collaborative Grading, and Individual Goal Setting in Euclidean Geometry for Future Teachers" by David Clark about intentionally integrating pedagogical choices that appear separately in the literature.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Do All the Things: Inquiry-Based Learning with Teams, Collaborative Grading, and Individual Goal Setting in Euclidean Geometry for Future Teachers
Inquiry-Based Learning, collaborative grading, individualized goal-setting, and team-based problem solving are common educational innovations discussed in these pages. This paper describes a Euclid...
www.tandfonline.com
December 15, 2025 at 11:40 PM
It's me! I wrote about how I use IBL, collaborative grading, and much more all together in my favorite course: Euclidean Geometry.
I finally did it: I wrote about AI! Mostly, small changes I made that had a good effect, and the results of a student survey. gradingforgrowth.com/p/small-chan...
Small changes to handle AI
What I did this semester to address AI use in one of my classes
gradingforgrowth.com
December 15, 2025 at 2:06 PM
I finally did it: I wrote about AI! Mostly, small changes I made that had a good effect, and the results of a student survey. gradingforgrowth.com/p/small-chan...
Reposted by David Clark
Excited to share a guest post on my blog this week by Jayme Dyer, Katie Mattaini, and Eden Tanner about alt grading in large classes. This is something I get asked about all the time, so I'm glad to have an opportunity to share their work on the topic! emilypittsdonahoe.substack.com/p/alternativ...
Alternative Grading in Large Classes
How to implement pedagogical values within logistical constraints
emilypittsdonahoe.substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Excited to share a guest post on my blog this week by Jayme Dyer, Katie Mattaini, and Eden Tanner about alt grading in large classes. This is something I get asked about all the time, so I'm glad to have an opportunity to share their work on the topic! emilypittsdonahoe.substack.com/p/alternativ...
This is at least one of the more amusing cybersecurity trainings I've ever done.
December 9, 2025 at 12:30 AM
This is at least one of the more amusing cybersecurity trainings I've ever done.
Today on Grading for Growth: Alternative grading in a large multi-section coordinated Calculus course. A guest post by Lucas Quintero and Rebecca Swanson.
When Alternative Grading Meets Coordination
Lessons in scaling alternative grading to a multi-section, coordinated Calculus I course
gradingforgrowth.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Today on Grading for Growth: Alternative grading in a large multi-section coordinated Calculus course. A guest post by Lucas Quintero and Rebecca Swanson.
All I want for Christmas is for Santa to force every grad program to put a deadline in their emails. And maybe make the recommendation link clickable.
November 30, 2025 at 6:52 PM
All I want for Christmas is for Santa to force every grad program to put a deadline in their emails. And maybe make the recommendation link clickable.
The two most important parts of Thanksgiving cooking are in progress.
(Don't judge my carmelized onions and I won't judge yours!)
(Don't judge my carmelized onions and I won't judge yours!)
November 26, 2025 at 8:33 PM
The two most important parts of Thanksgiving cooking are in progress.
(Don't judge my carmelized onions and I won't judge yours!)
(Don't judge my carmelized onions and I won't judge yours!)
Today on Grading for Growth, I reflect on the importance of community in using alternative grading: gradingforgrowth.com/p/14-ways-to...
14 ways to find and build community
The importance of a community of support for alternative grading
gradingforgrowth.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Today on Grading for Growth, I reflect on the importance of community in using alternative grading: gradingforgrowth.com/p/14-ways-to...
Today on Grading for Growth, Greg Crowther shares some data and reflects on the importance of letting students take home and reflect on feedback.
Will the circle be unbroken?
Reflections on a recent study of anatomy & physiology instructors
gradingforgrowth.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Today on Grading for Growth, Greg Crowther shares some data and reflects on the importance of letting students take home and reflect on feedback.
Today on Grading for Growth, Melanie Butler writes a guest post about specifications grading in an asynchronous setting.
Specifications Grading in an Asynchronous Liberal Arts Math Course
A multi-year reflection
gradingforgrowth.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Today on Grading for Growth, Melanie Butler writes a guest post about specifications grading in an asynchronous setting.
It finally happened: A student dressed up as me for Halloween.
October 31, 2025 at 4:01 PM
It finally happened: A student dressed up as me for Halloween.
Today on Grading for Growth, one of the classic examples of how traditional grades don't do what they set out to do.
gradingforgrowth.com/p/alice-and-...
gradingforgrowth.com/p/alice-and-...
Alice and Bob
An example of how traditional grades misrepresent learning
gradingforgrowth.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Today on Grading for Growth, one of the classic examples of how traditional grades don't do what they set out to do.
gradingforgrowth.com/p/alice-and-...
gradingforgrowth.com/p/alice-and-...
Today on Grading for Growth, Robert continues to discuss deliberate practice and how it interacts with alternative grading.
What three research articles on deliberate practice say about grading
The connection between deliberate practice and alternative grading is closer than you might think.
gradingforgrowth.com
October 13, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Today on Grading for Growth, Robert continues to discuss deliberate practice and how it interacts with alternative grading.
Reposted by David Clark
Only one week left to apply for the Center for Grading Reform's Alternative Grading Institute! This two-day, hands-on, virtual experience offers opportunities to connect grading with your values and design an alt grading system for one of your courses. www.centerforgradingreform.org/alternative-...
Alternative Grading Institute
www.centerforgradingreform.org
October 8, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Only one week left to apply for the Center for Grading Reform's Alternative Grading Institute! This two-day, hands-on, virtual experience offers opportunities to connect grading with your values and design an alt grading system for one of your courses. www.centerforgradingreform.org/alternative-...
Today on Grading for Growth, a guest post by Jody Langdon on how she uses a (traditional) LMS gradebook to communicate progress in a Specifications Grading setup.
Specifications Grading and the LMS Gradebook
Helping Students Understand Their Course Progress
gradingforgrowth.com
October 6, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Today on Grading for Growth, a guest post by Jody Langdon on how she uses a (traditional) LMS gradebook to communicate progress in a Specifications Grading setup.
Today in delightful student comments (seriously).
October 2, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Today in delightful student comments (seriously).
Today on Grading for Growth: People sometimes have knee-jerk reactions when they first hear about alternative grading. What can you do?
Knee-jerk reactions
Strong, sudden opinions about alternative grading
gradingforgrowth.com
September 29, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Today on Grading for Growth: People sometimes have knee-jerk reactions when they first hear about alternative grading. What can you do?
Today on Grading for Growth, our guest poster Noel Warford describes his first time using alternative grading -- as a brand new faculty member.
Using collaborative grading as a new professor
Benefits and challenges of moving away from percentage-based grading
gradingforgrowth.com
September 22, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Today on Grading for Growth, our guest poster Noel Warford describes his first time using alternative grading -- as a brand new faculty member.
Alt-graders: I'm working on a post about off-the-cuff dismissals of alternative grading.
Negative gut-reactions people have when they first hear about it, and how to respond.
What would you include? (My current list is in the next post.)
I'm actually hoping it will be a bit light-hearted...
Negative gut-reactions people have when they first hear about it, and how to respond.
What would you include? (My current list is in the next post.)
I'm actually hoping it will be a bit light-hearted...
September 17, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Alt-graders: I'm working on a post about off-the-cuff dismissals of alternative grading.
Negative gut-reactions people have when they first hear about it, and how to respond.
What would you include? (My current list is in the next post.)
I'm actually hoping it will be a bit light-hearted...
Negative gut-reactions people have when they first hear about it, and how to respond.
What would you include? (My current list is in the next post.)
I'm actually hoping it will be a bit light-hearted...