Competency-Based Grading as an Alternative to Traditional Marks in Introductory Courses: Seminar and workshop

As higher education evolves, driven by factors such as the University Accord’s push for broader access, growing concerns around student wellbeing, and the rise of AI, traditional grading systems are increasingly under scrutiny. Competency-based grading offers a timely and student-centred alternative, particularly suited to introductory and work-integrated learning (WIL) courses.

This seminar and workshop explore how competency-based assessment shifts the focus from ranking students to supporting mastery of clearly defined learning outcomes. It replaces numerical marks with meaningful feedback and strategic hurdle tasks, fostering equity, reducing stress, and enhancing engagement.

Grounded in six core principles: clear outcomes, proficiency standards, multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning, aligned pedagogy, skill-focused activities, and competency as the threshold for passing; this model is illustrated through case studies from UNSW, including Physics 1A and adaptations in Law and Psychology.

In the seminar we will examine how grading models can vary across a degree program, with strategic use of pass/fail, non-numerical grades, and traditional marks. Student survey data reveals strong support for competency grading, highlighting benefits such as reduced anxiety, improved peer collaboration, and greater enjoyment of learning. While acknowledging implementation challenges, such as institutional constraints and feedback demands, some practical strategies for course design and reform will be considered.