Current Book
Winter 2025 Office of Teaching and Learning Book Club
During the Winter 2025 semester, the OTL Book Club will discuss Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (Blum, 2020). Book club discussions are open to all University of Guelph faculty and instructional staff (including sessionals and teaching assistants). At each meeting, book club members will take part in a facilitated discussion of one or two essays in the book and discuss thoughts, questions or share experiences.
About Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning:
The moment is right for critical reflection on what has been assumed to be a core part of schooling. In Ungrading, fifteen educators write about their diverse experiences going gradeless. Some contributors are new to the practice and some have been engaging in it for decades. Some are in humanities and social sciences, some in STEM fields. Some are in higher education, but some are the K–12 pioneers who led the way. Based on rigorous and replicated research, this is the first book to show why and how faculty who wish to focus on learning, rather than sorting or judging, might proceed. It includes honest reflection on what makes ungrading challenging, and testimonials about what makes it transformative.
(From the publisher’s description ©2020 West Virginia University Press)
Book Club Schedule
Book Club members will meet six times during the winter semester, all on Wednesday mornings, either in person or virtually. Book club members can also participate asynchronously through discussions and sharing resources on the Teams site.
| Date | Time | Discussion |
| Wednesday, January 15 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | TBA |
| Wednesday, January 29 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | TBA |
| Wednesday, February 12 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | TBA |
| Wednesday, February 26 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | TBA |
| Wednesday, March 12 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | TBA |
| Wednesday, March 26 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | TBA |
Accessing the Book
Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning is available as a hard copy, Kindle edition, or e-book. The McLaughlin Library has e-copies of the book available for Book Club members. Hard copies of the book are also available from Chapters Indigo, Amazon, and some independent bookstores.
Register for the Book Club
Book club meetings will take place in-person in Day Hall 209B and simultaneously via Microsoft Teams. Registration is limited to allow for effective discussions. Registrants will receive an invitation to the Teams meetings in advance of each meeting. Register below for the Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning book club by January 12th. Space is limited.
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