Implementing Alternative Grading Strategies in Medium- and Large-Scale Courses

Alternative grading strategies differ from traditional grading in that they often prioritize limited reattempts without penalty paired with rich feedback over partial credit. This incentivizes students to engage in feedback loops that help them learn, rather than cramming for short-term retention, and to focus on complete understanding of one topic at a time, rather than superficial understanding of multiple topics. It also does not penalize students who take longer than average to learn the material as long as they learn it by the end of the semester. I will report on how I implemented these strategies in medium- and large-scale physics courses, ranging in size from 50 to 750 students, as well as lessons learned from doing so.