The downward spiral continues

College professors call for “labor-based” grading

Two writing professors at St. Olaf College are calling on their faculty peers and campus writing tutors to prioritize what they call “labor-based grading,” which puts a de-emphasis on calling out and correcting traditional writing errors.

“This approach to responding to student writing prioritizes students’ process and growth instead of a single standard of writing,” stated writing professors Bridget Draxler and Diane LeBlanc in an article on the college’s website.

Such a method, the two argued, would “decenter white, upper-middle class educational and social experiences” and help students feel more confident and accepted.

To be fair, this might actually be a good approach to teaching remedial students who get to college without having learned to write: a steady stream of “Fs” could easily crush a student struggling in waters over his head, and maybe this method can keep them engaged and learning. But if it extends beyond remedial classes, which it probably will, that’d be bad news.