{"id":25793,"date":"2026-09-10T14:09:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T18:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/?p=25793"},"modified":"2026-09-24T13:29:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T17:29:55","slug":"grade-the-process-of-learning-as-well-as-the-product","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/grade-the-process-of-learning-as-well-as-the-product\/","title":{"rendered":"Grade the Process of Learning as Well as the Product"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>Prioritize Grading the Process of Learning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Why Shift from Product to Process?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Generative AI can now produce essays, code, reports, and other academic products that appear highly polished. As a result, final submissions alone may no longer provide sufficient evidence of student learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than focusing primarily on what students produce, instructors can place greater emphasis on <strong>how students learn<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How\u00a0 do your students develop ideas?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How\u00a0 do your students evaluate information?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How\u00a0 do your students revise their work?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How\u00a0 do your students respond to feedback?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How\u00a0 do your students use AI critically and responsibly?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The goal is not to eliminate AI from learning but to <strong>assess the thinking, decision-making, and growth<\/strong> that occur throughout the learning process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Key Principles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Make Learning Visible<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Require your students to document important stages of their work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Research notes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drafts and revisions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Design sketches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Learning journals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>AI-use statements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Reward Revision<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learning often becomes visible through improvement. Consider grading your students on how effectively they incorporate feedback and explain the changes they made between drafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Assess Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask your students to explain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What\u00a0 did your students learn?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How\u00a0 did their thinking change?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What challenges did they encounter?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How did AI influence their work?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Evaluate AI Literacy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of asking whether your students used AI, ask <strong>how<\/strong> they used it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What prompts did they use?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which AI suggestions did they reject?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How did they verify information?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What errors did they identify with the AI\u2019s output?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A Simple Process-Based Grading Model<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A process-oriented assignment might distribute grades as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Planning and preparation: 20%<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Process documentation: 30%<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Revision and improvement: 20%<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reflection: 15%<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Final product: 15%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final product still matters, but it becomes <em>only one source of evidence<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Examples Across Disciplines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>History: Research Essay<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of grading only the final paper, assess:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The development of the research question.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The source evaluation notes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The student\u2019s critique of AI-generated historical interpretations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their reflection on how the student\u2019s argument evolved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Primary evidence of learning:<\/strong> historical reasoning and source analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Biology: Laboratory Investigation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of focusing only on the lab report, assess:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Experimental planning<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Observation records<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Evaluation of AI-generated interpretations of results<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reflection on errors, limitations, and alternative explanations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Primary evidence of learning:<\/strong> scientific thinking and judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Computer Science: Programming Project<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of grading only working code, assess:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Design proposals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Development journals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Documentation of AI-assisted coding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Oral explanation of decisions and debugging strategies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Primary evidence of learning:<\/strong> computational thinking and problem-solving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Additional Assessment Types That Work Well<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-regular\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong><strong>Learning Portfolios<\/strong><\/strong><\/td><td>Students collect evidence of growth over time, including drafts, reflections, feedback, and revisions.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Process Journals<\/strong><\/td><td>Students maintain a running record of decisions, challenges, breakthroughs, and AI use.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><br><strong>Oral Defenses<\/strong><\/td><td>Students explain and defend their work through short presentations, interviews, or project demonstrations.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><tfoot><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><em>These approaches make it easier to assess understanding even when AI was involved in producing the final work<\/em><strong>.<\/strong><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><\/tfoot><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Try This:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use the following prompt with your preferred AI tool to generate process-based versions of existing assignments:<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"cl-wrapper cl-notice-wrapper\"><div class=\"cl-notice\" data-hash=\"d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI teach [COURSE\/DISCIPLINE].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is my current assignment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[PASTE ASSIGNMENT]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Redesign this assignment so that at least 70% of the grade is based on evidence of the learning process rather than the final product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2013 3-5 developmental checkpoints<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2013 Student reflection activities<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2013 Opportunities for revision<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2013 Appropriate use of AI by students<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2013 A rubric that emphasizes thinking, decision-making, and growth<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2013 Suggestions for keeping instructor workload manageable<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Explain why each component provides evidence of learning that is difficult to outsource to AI.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI challenges educators to reconsider what grades are intended to measure. By assessing planning, reflection, revision, decision-making, and responsible AI use, instructors can focus on what ultimately matters most: <strong>evidence of student learning and intellectual growth<\/strong>.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\"><a class=\"cl-button   prominent\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/ai-and-assessment\/\" title=\"\">\u2190back<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\"><a class=\"cl-button   prominent\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/develop-rubrics-with-ai-assistance\/\" title=\"\">Next:  Develop Rubrics with AI Assistance<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn more<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5324,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[443],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ai-assessment"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5324"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25793"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25793\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26153,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25793\/revisions\/26153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/atl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}