Board the Ship: Onboarding and Implementing Specifications Grading Across STEM Introductory Courses at Georgia Gwinnett College

Historically, introductory STEM courses are “gateways” that sometimes deter students from entering STEM fields. Nine instructors across eight different gateway courses in four STEM areas at Georgia Gwinnett College have implemented Specifications Grading assessment plans where students control their grades through mastery of course objectives. The nine instructors share their motivations for choosing and implementing Specifications Grading and their expectations of themselves and of their students within the new methodology. We present the lessons learned along the way and how membership in this interdisciplinary faculty learning community is impacting each instructor’s beliefs.