The Grading Podcast 126 - AI-Aware Teaching, Mastery Quizzes, and the Future of Grading with Derek Bruff
Dec 9, 2025
Derek Bruff, an educator and higher-ed consultant, delves into the evolving landscape of assessment in a tech-driven world. He shares his transformative journey from traditional grading to mastery-based assessments and discusses the implications of AI in education. Derek introduces the Alternative Grading Institute at UVA, emphasizing collaborative and standards-based grading approaches. He encourages faculty to rethink curricula in light of AI, advocating for grading reforms that promote student self-efficacy and resilience against shortcuts.
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Replacing Exams With Mastery Paths
- In a cryptography seminar Derek replaced a high-stakes exam with mastery quizzes and let students skip the exam if they passed all quizzes.
- The approach revealed who actually learned math and helped struggling students reach mastery.
Design Institutes Around Values Then Practice
- Run workshops that help faculty articulate values and situational constraints before redesigning courses.
- Use structured tracks (specs, standards-based, collaborative) so instructors can actively redesign courses with support.
Begin Reform By Solving Clear Problems
- Create awareness of problems first, then offer concrete alternative grading solutions to departments with identified failures.
- Start with courses that are clearly 'not working' to persuade STEM faculty to adopt new practices.
