160 - Schoolishness, AI and the Future of Education: A conversation with Dr. Susan D. Blum.

What if the biggest challenge facing education isn't grading—but our assumptions about school itself? In this episode, Sharona and Boz welcome anthropologist and author Susan Blum for a wide-ranging conversation about how her research into plagiarism led her to question the fundamental purpose of grades, assessment, and formal education. Drawing on her books Ungrading and Schoolishness, Susan reflects on why students so often pursue achievement instead of learning, how traditional grading systems shape that behavior, and why the rapid rise of AI has intensified long-standing questions about motivation, authenticity, and the value of education. Rather than focusing on grading techniques alone, this episode steps back to examine the larger assumptions underlying our educational systems and asks what meaningful learning should look like in a rapidly changing world.

Links

Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates links. Clicking on them and purchasing through them helps support the show. Thanks for your support!

Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead) by Susan D. BlumSchoolishness: Alienated Education and the Quest for Authentic, Joyful Learning by Susan D. BlumHacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School (Hack Learning Series) by Starr SacksteinTrevor Aleo's SubstackSusan D. Blum on Substack and LinkedIn

Resources

The Center for Grading Reform - seeking to advance education in the United States by supporting effective grading reform at all levels through conferences, educational workshops, professional development, research and scholarship, influencing public policy, and community building.

The Grading Conference - an annual, online conference exploring Alternative Grading in Higher Education & K-12.

Some great resources to educate yourself about Alternative Grading:

The Grading for Growth BlogThe Grading ConferenceThe Intentional Academia Blog

Recommended Books on Alternative Grading:

Grading for Growth, by Robert Talbert and David ClarkSpecifications Grading, by Linda NilsenUndoing the Grade, by Jesse Stommel

Follow us on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram - @thegradingpod. To leave us a comment, please go to our website: www.thegradingpod.com and leave a comment on this episode's page.