Our TT Resource List

Teaching and Learning eBooks & video available through the Mesa College Library!

• John C. Bean, & Dan Melzer. (2021). Engaging Ideas : The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. Links to an external site. Jossey-Bass. 
• Susan D. Blum. (2020). Ungrading : Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead) Links to an external site.. West Virginia University Press. 
• Bowen, J.A. & Watson, C.E. (2024). Teaching with AI : A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning Links to an external site.. Johns Hopkins University Press. 
• Clifton Conrad, & Todd Lundberg. (2022). Learning with Others : Collaboration As a Pathway to College Student Success Links to an external site.. Johns Hopkins University Press. 
• Laurie Donnelly, Anne Adams, Nicholas A. Stein, & WGBH, E. F. (Producers). (2017). Mindfulness Goes Mainstream. Links to an external site. [Video/DVD] Public Broadcasting Service. 
• Kevin M. Gannon. (2020). Radical Hope : A Teaching Manifesto. Links to an external site. West Virginia University Press. 
• Rebecca A. Glazier. (2021). Connecting in the Online Classroom : Building Rapport Between Teachers and Students. Links to an external site. Johns Hopkins University Press. 
• Regan A. R. Gurung, & Loreto R. Prieto. (2009). Getting Culture : Incorporating Diversity Across the Curriculum. Links to an external site. Routledge. 
• Kelly A. Hogan, & Viji Sathy. (2022). Inclusive Teaching : Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom. Links to an external site. West Virginia University Press. 
• bell hooks. (1994). Teaching to Transgress : Education As the Practice of Freedom Links to an external site.. Routledge. 
• Robin G. Isserles. (2021). The Costs of Completion : Student Success in Community College Links to an external site.. Johns Hopkins University Press. 
• Rita Kumar, & Brenda Refaei. (2021). Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education : Strategies for Teaching. Links to an external site. University of Cincinnati Press. 
• James M. Lang. (2021). Small Teaching : Everyday Lessons From the Science of Learning. Links to an external site. Jossey-Bass. 
• Lovett,M.C., Michael W. Bridges, Michele DiPietro, Susan A. Ambrose, & Marie K. Norman. (2023). How Learning Works : Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. Links to an external site. Jossey-Bass. 
• Linda B. Nilson, & Ludwika A. Goodson. (2021). Online Teaching at Its Best : Merging Instructional Design with Teaching and Learning Research. Links to an external site. Jossey-Bass. 
• The reflective educator: A collaborative approach to building teacher’s capacity. Links to an external site. (2015). Films On Demand. Films Media Group. 

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General Resources

• CVC-OEI Online Course Design Rubric Links to an external site.
  • This is the rubric that is used to evaluate courses in the Peer Online Course Review (POCR) process. 
  • Check out the Course Design Resources for more details about each item in the rubric.
  • Also check out examples from your Mesa colleagues Links to an external site. on the MOST Toolkit Links to an external site..
• Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning Links to an external site. by James Lang
  
  • Pressed for time? You can also check out this Small Teaching Summary Links to an external site. created by MOST member Kelly Spoon for Mesa's Curriculum Excellence and Equity Review (CEER) course last summer.
• Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes Links to an external site. by Flower Darby with James Lang
• Online Teaching at its Best: Merging Instructional Design with Teaching and Learning Research Links to an external site. by Linda B. Nilson and Ludwika A. Goodson
  • The link above takes you to an e-book from our library. Their chapter 5 focuses on assessment in online courses.

Assessment

• Classroom Assessment: Principles and Practices that Enhance Student Learning and Motivation by James McMillian
  • We used an excerpt from this in Mesa's Curriculum Equity and Excellence Review (CEER). Unfortunately, we don't have a copy in the Mesa library, yet.
• Alternative Strategies for Assessment and Grading Links to an external site. from Duke University
• The National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment Links to an external site.- site with curated articles, webinars, and more all related to equitable assessment, here are a few to check out:
  • Assessments that Matter Links to an external site.
  • Embedding Equity into Assessment Links to an external site.
  • Equity in Assessment Links to an external site.
• Exams Reimagined Links to an external site. an article from The Chronicle of Higher Education 
• Active Learning Library Links to an external site.
  • The Active Learning Library is a great resource for finding activities to engage students in learning, both in the classroom and online.
  • Many of these activities are great formative assessment tools as well!

Grading

General Alternative Grading Resources

• Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms Links to an external site. by Joe Feldman
  
  • Want to see how it inspired your colleagues? In 2021, a Faculty Inquiry Group (FIG) read Grading for Equity and applied its principles to their classes, a summary of their findings and suggestions can be found here: Grading for Equity FIG Summary Links to an external site. 
• Alternative Grading handout Links to an external site. developed by Drew Lewis
• Grading for Growth blog Links to an external site. by Robert Talbert and David Clark

Articles

• From Chronicle of Higher Education
  • Grades Can Hinder Learning Links to an external site.
  • What Really Goes Into Making the Grade? Links to an external site.
• From Inside Higher Education
  • Grades are at the Center of the Student Mental Health Crisis Links to an external site.

Standards and Specifications Grading Resources

• Specifications Grading: Restoring rigor, motivating students, and saving faculty time Links to an external site. (📘) by Linda Nilson (sadly not available from our library, yet!)
• Specifications Grading Keynote Links to an external site. (🎥) by Linda Nilson from the Grading for Growth Conference 2021
• Specification Grading episode Links to an external site. (👂🏻) of Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast with Linda Nilson
• Mastery Grading Conference 2020 Playlist Links to an external site. (🎥) - videos for specs and SBG from a variety of disciplines.
• Mastery Grading: Build-A-Syllabus Workshop Links to an external site. (📄)- an article from a Mathematics journal that details how to start with SBG in a way that is applicable to most disciplines.
• A Beginner's Guide to Standards Based Grading Links to an external site. (📄) - an article for American Mathematical Society by Kate Owens detailing the how to get started with SBG, again, applicable to any discipline even though the examples are math!
• Specifications Grading: My First Attempt Links to an external site. (📄)- a blog post by English professor Rohan Maitzen
• Tips: Specs Grading Links to an external site. (📄) - an article by Breana Bayraktar with examples of specs grading in a number of disciplines
• Canvas How-To with how to change your grades to display “🔥 On Fire” rather than points
  • How to Enable Course Grading Schemes on Canvas Links to an external site. (📄) - a guide with how to change your grades to display “🔥 On Fire” rather than points by Spencer Bagley
  • Creating an Ungrading Checklist in Canvas Links to an external site. (🎥) - a Webinar by MOST Member Kelly Spoon

Contract Grading Resources

• Antiracist Writing Assessment Ecologies: Teaching and Assessing Writing for a Socially Just Future Links to an external site. (📘) by Asao Inoue
• Antiracist Writing Assessment Ecologies episode Links to an external site. (👂🏻) of Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast with Asao Inoue
• A Unilateral Grading Contract to Improve Learning and Teaching Links to an external site. (📄) - an article by Peter Elbow and Jane Danielewicz
• Labor-Based Grading Contracts: Building Equity and Inclusion in Compassionate Writing Classroom Links to an external site. (📘) 

Ungrading Resources

• Ungrading: why rating students undermines learning (and what to do instead) Links to an external site. (📘) - by Susan Blum
• Ungrading episode Links to an external site. (👂🏻) of Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast with Susan Blum
• Ungrading Links to an external site. (📄) - an article from Inside Higher Education by Susan Blum
• The Problem with Grades episode Links to an external site. (👂🏻) of Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast with Josh Eyler
• Crowdsourcing Ungrading Links to an external site. (📘)- a CC-licensed, open, crowd-sourced text
• How to Ungrade Links to an external site. (📄) - a blog post by Jesse Stommel
• Ungrading: A Series Links to an external site. (📄) - a series of blog posts by Chemistry professor Clarissa Sorensen-Unruh

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Blum, S. (2020). Ungrading: Why rating students undermines learning (and what to do instead) . West Virginia University Press.

California Virtual Campus-Online Education Initiative (2018, October 1). CVC-OEI Rubric. CVC-OEI Course Design Rubric. https://cvc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CVC-OEI-Course-Design-Rubric-rev.10.2018.pdf Links to an external site. 

Cilli-Turner, Emily, Dunmyre, Justin, Mahoney, Thomas, & Wiley, Chad. (2020). Mastery Grading: Build-A-Syllabus Workshop. PRIMUS, 30(8–10), 952–978. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511970.2020.1733152 Links to an external site.. 

Darby, F., & Lang, J. M. (2019). Small teaching online: Applying learning science in online classes. John Wiley & Sons.Darby, F., & Lang, J. M. (2019). Small teaching online: Applying learning science in online classes. John Wiley & Sons.

Elbow, Peter and Jane Danielewicz. (2008). “A Unilateral Grading Contract to Improve Learning and Teaching.” English Department Faculty Publication Series, University of Massachusetts—Amherts.

Feldman, J. (2019). Grading for Equity : What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms. Corwin.

Inoue, Asao B. (2015), Antiracist Writing Assessment Ecologies: Teaching and Assessing Writing for a Socially Just Future. Parlor Press, 2015. 

Lang, J. M. (2021). Small teaching: Everyday lessons from the science of learning. John Wiley & Sons.Lang, J. M. (2021). Small teaching: Everyday lessons from the science of learning. John Wiley & Sons.

Maitzen, Rohan (2021). Specifications Grading: My First Attempt. https://rohanmaitzen.com/2021/01/04/specifications-grading-my-first-attempt/ Links to an external site.

McMillan, J. H. (2014). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice for effective standards-based instruction. Pearson.McMillan, J. H. (2014). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice for effective standards-based instruction. Pearson.

Nilson, L. (2014). Specifications Grading: Restoring Rigor, Motivating Students, and Saving Faculty Time Specifications Grading: Restoring Rigor, Motivating Students, and Saving Faculty Time. Stylus Publishing.

Nilson, L. B., & Goodson, L. A. (2021). Online teaching at its best: Merging instructional design with teaching and learning research. John Wiley & Sons.

Owens, Kate (2015). A Beginner’s Guide to Standards-Based Grading. AMS Blog on Teaching and Learning Mathematics. https://blogs.ams.org/matheducation/2015/11/20/a-beginners-guide-to-standards-based-grading/ Links to an external site..

Sorensen-Unruh, Clarissa (2019). Ungrading: A Series https://clarissasorensenunruh.com/2019/02/10/ungrading-a-series-part-1/ Links to an external site..

Stommel, Jesse (2018). How to Ungrade. https://www.jessestommel.com/how-to-ungrade/ Links to an external site..