BOF: Grading for Equity in Computer Science Courses

The field of computer science has a problem of representation-many groups are not represented in our classroom at levels approaching their composition in society. Unfortunately, the representation issue is a larger societal issue and begins well before students enter our institutions. Though we acknowledge that building inclusive and equitable classroom environments cannot increase representation by itself, it can have an impact on retention and inclusion for members of marginalized communities.

Current grading policies overemphasize the gaming aspect of points (e.g., goal is to maximize points) in ways that distract students from paying attention to learning. Alternatives to traditional grading, such as standards or competency-based grading, specifications-based grading, and ungrading, allow instructors to change the conversation and redirect the focus on learning. The goal of this Birds of a Feather is to foster the creation of a community of like-minded educators interested in exploring alternative grading methodologies in computer science. The goal is to make computing classrooms more accessible and equitable for all students.