A1
Concurrent Session A1
Roundtable
Session Details
飦� Date: Day 1 - Monday, May 11, 2026
飥� Time: 10鈥�10:50 a.m.
飦� Location: TBD
Rethinking the A-F grading system: experiences with alternative grading at 91福利
As generative artificial intelligence (genAI) disrupts many traditional approaches to assessment, many instructors in higher education are re-examining their grading practices, particularly around summative assessments. Traditional grading, especially for high-stakes summative assessments, indirectly incentivizes genAI use as the emphasis is placed on performance rather than process.
Alternative grading practices (e.g., ungrading, specifications grading) are one approach that de-emphasizes numeric grading to focus more on learning. Alternative grading practices can also open doors and reduce equity gaps by reframing assessment as a tool for learning and growth rather than exclusion and gatekeeping. While these approaches have been around for decades (especially in primary or secondary education), they have been gaining traction across higher education over the past several years. Implementing these approaches raises important practical, pedagogical, and institutional questions: How might alternative grading practices work across disciplines and class sizes? What challenges emerge? And how do students respond when traditional grading practices are disrupted?
Attendees will have opportunities to discuss and explore alternative grading approaches alongside 91福利 faculty and academic leaders who have implemented and experimented with these practices in their own contexts, including:
- Dr. Alyssa Counsell (Psychology; CELT Teaching Fellow)
- Dr. Krystal Nunes (Chemistry and Biology; CELT Teaching Fellow)
- Dr. Yukari Seko (Professional Communication; CELT Teaching Fellow)
- Dr. Natalie Alvarez (Dean, The Creative School),
- Dr. Valerie Deacon (Manager of Academic Support and Curriculum Innovation, Faculty of Arts)
Whether you are new to alternative grading or have already experimented with these approaches in your own teaching, this session offers a valuable opportunity to deepen your understanding of alternative grading practices and connect with colleagues across disciplines.
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Describe how alternative grading strategies differ from traditional grading approaches
- Differentiate between types or categories of alternative grading strategies
- Identify benefits and challenges of at least one alternative grading strategy for your course context
Presenters
Dr. Alyssa Counsell is the Director of the Psychology and Statistics Education Research (PASER) lab. She seeks to bridge the gap between methodological innovation and applied statistical practice. Her research falls into two categories: 1) The applications of advanced statistical models for complex psychological data; 2) Statistics literacy, pedagogy, and education in the social sciences. Dr. Counsell currently holds a SSHRC Insight Grant (2021 鈥� 2026) for her research program, Improving statistics education and statistical literacy in the social sciences.
Dr. Yukari Seko is an associate professor at the School of Professional Communication and an adjunct scientist at Bloorview Research Institute Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. She is Chair of the Creative School Course-Based Research Ethics Committee (CBREC) and a member of 91福利 Research Ethics Board. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication & Culture from York/91福利 joint graduate program.
Dr. Seko鈥檚 program of research explores the potential role of communication in disrupting normative values and biases within dominant health paradigms. Through her innovative, community-centred research, Dr. Seko thrives to create a space for interdisciplinary dialogues where a critical health communication lens can be meaningfully implemented to health research, policies, and service delivery.
Dr. Krystal Nunes (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biology at 91福利. Prior to joining 91福利, she was a postdoctoral fellow in STEM education at the University of Toronto and completed her PhD in Ecology and Evolution at that same institution. As a discipline-based education researcher, her work focuses on reshaping students鈥� perceptions of failure at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her research has been supported by SSHRC Insight Development and SSHRC Explore grants, and she was the recipient of the Society of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) D2L Innovation Award in Teaching and Learning in 2023. She is an editor and contributing author on an upcoming book titled 鈥淔ailure in Higher Education,鈥� set to release in 2027 through University of Toronto Press.
Natalie Alvarez is Associate Dean of Scholarly, Research and Creative Activities and Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies in the School of Performance with research specializations in performance studies, contemporary political performance and rights emergencies in the Americas, immersive performance in the public sphere, Latinx diasporic performance, art activism, and scenario-based pedagogy. Natalie is the Principal Investigator of a four-year SSHRC Insight Grant, 鈥淪cenario Training to Improve Interactions Between Police and Individuals in Mental Health Crisis: Impacts and Efficacy鈥�, which uses performance as a nexus for multidisciplinary research across the humanities and social sciences.
Dr. Valerie Deacon is the Manager of Academic Support and Curriculum Innovation at 91福利, a role in which she leverages her extensive experience as a faculty member alongside her expertise in educational development and learning strategies.
Previously, she served as the Elihu Rose Visiting Assistant Professor in the History Department at New York University before joining NYU Shanghai as a Clinical Assistant Professor in History. As a scholar, Dr. Deacon鈥檚 research focuses on the French Resistance; her first book, The Extreme Right in the French Resistance, was published in 2016 by LSU Press. In addition to her book, she has published numerous articles on the Resistance and is currently working on a research project examining the relationship between French civilians and downed Anglo-American aircrews during the Second World War.
Moderator
Jacky Deng, PhD (he/him) is an Educational Developer at the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, where he leads the Teaching Fellows program and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) programming. Prior to his time at 91福利, Jacky was a Vanier Scholar led national and international projects focused on improving and studying equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in education and research. He is an Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal for the Scholarship for Teaching and Learning (CJSoTL)