Implementing Standards-Based Grading to improve learning and retention in a meat science course

A growing problem in higher education is the shift of student focus from learning to achieving a specific grade. In an effort to combat this, we applied Standards-Based Grading (SBG) to an upper-level animal sciences course, Muscle Foods. The underlying principle of SBG is that student learning is a process, rather than an endpoint, and as such students should be able to continue academic growth beyond the summative examination. In brief, SBG involves creating defined learning objectives and measuring student progress towards mastering each of them throughout the semester. A key component is that students are able to re-assess on the objectives as their knowledge and understanding improves. In Muscle Foods, we provided 40 learning objectives, which were initially assessed through midterm exams, laboratory activities, and a written project. After receiving scores, students could request a re-test by demonstrating they have applied a new study technique or other method to improve. After three semesters under SBG we found that students received high grades, primarily A's, and felt more confident in their knowledge of the course. Notably, this method also greatly reduced exam anxiety and student stress. Students indicated that they preferred SBG to traditional grading methods. There are several challenges to implementing the method as well; students also feel that their peers may be "gaming the system" and making scores unfair, it requires significant instructor time investment, and it can be difficult to scale. However, the flexibility of the system allows instructors to adapt it for specific circumstances. We believe this strategy could be applied to great effect in other animal science courses and improve our system of undergraduate education.