Rehumanizing the Humanities: Ungrading in the Language Classroom

Research has shown that grades are not always equitable. Grades can be harmful to student mental health, and often grades are not the best indicator of student learning. So then why do we grade? Can meaningful assessment be done without tying results to grades? Dr. Evgeny Dengub believes it can! In this presentation, Dengub will define ungrading philosophy which has at its core a desire to rehumanize language classes and put student learning at the center by decentering grades. He will discuss ungraded practices and assessment tools that have proven successful in his language classrooms. He will then discuss program-wide implications of the ungraded classroom.

During this webinar participants will:  a) reflect upon their own grading and assessment practices; b) discover what ‘ungrading’ is and how it is implemented in an actual classroom/course; c) identify ungraded changes they can implement in their own class; d) learn how to change their syllabi to incorporate the upgrading approach. 

Evgeny Dengub is a Professor (Teaching) of Russian and Director of the Basic Language Program in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Southern California where he also directs the Center for Languages and Cultures. He is the co-author of three Russian language textbooks: Etazhi: 2nd year Russian Language and Culture (2021, Georgetown UP), Panorama: Intermediate Russian Language and Culture (2017, Georgetown UP), and Russian for Advanced Students (2013, Dunwoody Press). He has served as a director of the Institute for teachers of Russian at Middlebury College Russian School funded by the STARTALK grant. He has been recognized by awards for scholarship (AATSEEL, MLA) and service (ACTR).