2025 PLONS: Bringing Ungrading to Language Teaching
This Professional Learning Online Network Space (PLONS) is meant for K-16 language educators who have little or no experience with ungrading (Blum, 2020), or the intentional act of going gradeless (e.g., in a syllabus or course assignment). Existing research on ungrading practices (such as specifications and contract grading) have come from contexts outside of foreign language education; this, in spite of the fact that many language educators have a deep interest in examining their own biases and moving away from “an adversarial relationship between students and teachers” produced by grades and grading hierarchies (Moro, 2020).
Currently, there are limited resources and materials for K-16 language educators on how they might bring alternative forms of assessment like ungrading to bear in their language classrooms (at home or in study abroad) and broader curricula. With a previous group of experienced “ungraders,” we assembled material to support the development of ungraded assignments and syllabi more broadly. We now invite language educators who have not yet developed but are interested in moving to alternative forms of assessment to join our collaborative PLONS to discuss background readings, review example materials for language educator peers, and to create their own materials.
Project Leaders Nicole Coleman (Wayne State University) and Janice McGregor (University of Arizona), and Angus Leydic (PhD candidate in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching) will serve as facilitators for the group. Potential participants for Fall 2025 can apply as individuals or as small groups.
Participants will…
- Work independently and in collaboration with colleagues and facilitators;
- Read and discuss key readings and resources;
- Explore curricular materials from participants who took part in a PLONS in 2024;
- Develop and share their own alternative curricular materials;
- Engage in peer discussions on how to support alternative forms of assessment being brought into a variety of language teaching and learning contexts.
The specific focus of this PLONS will be determined through discussions among participants, but will be guided by the following essential questions:
- What are some of the benefits and challenges of integrating ungrading approaches into language teaching and learning?
- What assignments, classes, contexts, approaches are best-suited to this work? How do we begin/continue this work?
- What activities work best to bring ungrading approaches to bear in the language classroom? How can we connect these approaches to learning goals that are specific to language and culture classrooms?
Some important dates (estimated time commitment: 10-15 hours)
- August 22, 2025: Applications due
- By August 29, 2025: Notification of acceptance
- September 1 – 26, 2025: Introductions; Read and discuss selected texts
- September 26, 2025: Coffee Hour #1: Informal chat opportunity for background readings (optional)
- September 29 – October 17, 2025: Sample material from previous PLONS: Read, comment, discuss
- October 17, 2025: Coffee Hour #2: Informal chat opportunity for sample materials (optional)
- October 20-31, 2025: Develop and upload your own material material
- November 3-14, 2025: Ask questions, give feedback, discuss
- November 17-26, 2025: Adjust, expand, amend and upload final version of material
- December 5, 2025: Coffee Hour #3: Informal chat and networking opportunity at the end of the PLONS
Deadline to apply: August 22, 2025.
Questions? Contact jmcgregor_at_arizona.edu or ncoleman_at_wayne.edu.