132-3 Five years of ungrading in a mixed-level mineralogy course

Session: Diversifying Geoscience Education Across the Academic Playing Field: Using Creative Methods to Foster the Current and Next Generations of Geoscience Professionals, Part II

Presenting Author:

Author:

Abstract:

In Spring 2021, in response to the pandemic and economic pressures to increase enrollments, I redesigned a traditionally upper-level Mineralogy course to serve both geology majors and general education students. Simultaneously, I implemented an “ungrading” assessment model to foster student engagement, reduce performance anxiety, and broaden access to geoscience learning.

The course is structured as a blended lecture-lab, meeting three times weekly for two hours. Guided by the spiral-learning framework of the Dyar, Gunter, and Tasa mineralogy textbook, students complete readings and formative questions before class, then engage in hands-on, collaborative activities that reinforce conceptual and practical skills.

Assessment follows a complete/incomplete/pending system, with personalized feedback from the instructor or a teaching assistant. Work is considered complete if it shows meaningful effort and evidence of understanding, even when significant errors are present. This effort-based, rather than mastery-based, approach encourages persistence, reduces stress, and supports learning through iteration.

Over five offerings, the course has enrolled approximately 50% geology majors and 50% non-majors, many of whom initially identify as “not good at science.” Student feedback consistently highlights the positive impacts of the course structure, including reduced anxiety, greater focus on learning, and a sense of pride in mastering complex material.

This redesign also increased course enrollment, preventing cancellation in low-registration years. In spring 2025, the class filled to capacity (18 students), demonstrating both sustained student interest and institutional viability.

This case study contributes to the growing field of inclusive and innovative geoscience education by showcasing how structural flexibility and alternative assessment can foster success across a diverse student population.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

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