CBL: From Grading to Feedback

When it comes to competency-based learning, it’s critical to accept a basic premise: You do not need to give grades in order to give feedback for learning. Feedback is foundational to a CBL approach: students must receive specific, actionable feedback aligned to competencies and learning outcomes throughout their learning processes. In this course, we will explore key elements of feedback that drive student learning, taking into consideration that when we live and teach in a grades-based system — as many of us do — we want to ensure that our grading practices align with and prioritize good and equitable feedback practices too.

This course is:

• Collaborative: Ideal for individual teachers, school teams, learning leaders, and instructional coaches
• Flexible: Fits within a teacher schedule; you choose your time commitment in this experience.
• Practical: Designed for immediate application; grounded in foundations of competency-based learning while prioritizing action steps educators can take now.

In this course, you will:

• Explore resources examining shifts from grading to feedback.

• Conduct action research in a stakeholder interview on the personal impact of grading and feedback.

• Design and share action steps aligned to your own context for more feedback-centered experiences.

The purpose of the Competency-Based Learning series is to guide educators in translating the theoretical underpinnings of CBL into sustainable classroom practices. Each course in this five course will prepare educators to take actions for competency-based learning in their own classrooms and schools.

Regardless of where you teach and the language your school uses for learning goals and grades, a CBL approach offers a mindset and a framework for supporting students in developing skills that transfer across subjects and contexts and that contribute to environments and systems that promote educational equity. You do not need to be an educator in a “CBL school” to join in this series; all five courses are designed to apply to any classroom and curriculum.

Each course is self-paced and includes a downloadable PDF workbook for design and reflection. Participants will leave with practical, tangible work products that can be applied directly to their practice, whether teaching in online, in-person, or in hybrid learning environments this year.

These five courses have relevance as both a series and as individual courses taken on their own. Participants will retain access to all courses to allow for ample time to revisit ideas, resources, and examples.