Ungrading is an alternative assessment approach that replaces traditional grades in favor of feedback-driven, student-centered evaluation. The practice of ungrading has gained significant traction since 2020. Research to date has focussed on the effects of ungrading in face-to-face settings, but its application within online courses is relatively unexplored. This study investigated undergraduate students’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of ungrading in an online environment. Eighty-seven students enrolled in communication courses shared their insights via open-ended survey responses. Findings revealed several notable advantages: students reported increased agency in their learning journey, enjoying the high quality of feedback, reduced stress, and a more meaningful and self-motivated educational experience. In addition, ungrading encouraged increased reflection, community building, and a more collaborative online learning atmosphere. Despite these positive experiences, students also encountered challenges. Some students expressed uncertainty about adjusting to this new evaluation paradigm, lack of certainty regarding their academic progress due to the absence of traditional grading benchmarks, lack of accuracy of self-reported assessments, and the adjustment required for this new evaluation paradigm. These findings illuminated both the transformative potential and the practical limitations of ungrading in online settings, thereby underscoring the need for increased guidance and support to fully benefit from this innovative approach. The results of this study offer actionable insights for online higher education educators considering or implementing this method.

Keywords: Ungrading, alternative grading, assessment, online assessment, online education.