Learning Without Marks

For many, it's hard to imagine a workplace without performance evaluation, or a school without marks. A simple example that might resonate is the University of Saskatchewan Ballroom Dance Club, one of the largest clubs on the U of S campus with about 1,200 students. The club started in 1964, my wife and I met in an instructors' class there back in 1988, and the club is still going strong, so you know they've got a model that's effective.

The club is all about learning how to ballroom dance, with volunteer instructors, and students who self-assess what classes they should be in. You start as a beginner, and as you master that, you can proceed to intermediate or advanced classes. If you're having too much difficulty, the instructor may suggest that you move back to an easier level, but generally, students make their own decisions on how competent they are.

You don't get marks in the class, you aren't ranked and compared to the other students in the class. The focus is on learning, on skills development, and you can repeat a class as many times as you want in order to master the steps. You also get to practice in a real social situation at a number of formal dances that the club holds each year.

This club has taught thousands of people to ballroom dance, without ever giving out a mark or an evaluation.