This fall, UBC will be hosting a workshop and symposium that will explore the possibilities, politics, and practicalities of alternative grading. This event will provide an opportunity for those interested in alternative grading practices at UBC to compare notes and experiences, and to introduce alternative grading to the university community as a whole, to inspire a rethinking of assessment and a lesson in trust, in our age of AI. The symposium will take place from October 23-25, 2026 at UBC Vancouver in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.
Alternative grading (sometimes, “ungrading”) covers a range of practices, including self-assessment, peer assessment, specifications grading, and contract grading, in many combinations. It begins by trusting students to participate in their own assessment, giving students the freedom to learn, and teachers the freedom to teach. This workshop and symposium
The symposium organizers welcome proposals in a variety of formats and in two tracks (research and practice), from faculty or staff, instructors or students, in any discipline, that can be analytical or theoretical (“why alternative grading?”), narrative (“what we did”), or practical (“how to…”). Contributions to the research track will typically be traditional research papers, but may also be poster presentations, position papers or lightning talks, or reports on active or completed research in alternative grading and trust in the age of AI. Contributions to the practice track will typically include guided discussions, position papers or lightning talks, workshops, or reflections on a particular assignment, question, or activity in the spirit of alternative grading and trust in the age of AI. Proposals are due by August 15, 2026.
For more information and to submit a proposal, please visit: https://alt-grading.open.ubc.ca/call-for-participation/.
