Twenty-eighth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

This is one of the first Canadian studies to explore student’s attitudes towards grading. Specifically it uses Likert scales and written responses to measure and assess whether a cohort of undergraduate university students value Pass/Fail grading systems above traditional numerical grades. This research question has resonance in the age of COVID-19 when many students are receiving Pass/Fail grades by default. Findings suggest that students have a strong preference for traditional grading. This is however tempered by the finding that students value written and oral feedback highly, especially as a way to contextualize traditional grades. The study should be of use to those who assess grading systems, including faculty and administrators. It also offers new data to researchers interested in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL).