What Grades Miss: Using Character Growth Sheets to Make Learning Visible

How can we help students recognize growth that doesn’t show up in a grade? Character Growth Sheets ask students to reflect on and develop insight into how they are thinking, feeling, and growing in a course.

Borrowed from tabletop roleplaying games, Character Growth Sheets list core attributes and skills aligned with course content that are not easy to measure through traditional assessments. When a learning unit is complete, students use the sheets to self-assess, assign scores, and reflect on how they improved. For students, the sheets create a tangible record of learning over time and encourage self-awareness and goal setting. For faculty, they offer a window into how students think, while also revealing how activities, assignments, and classroom experiences impact student learning.

In this workshop, we’ll look at evidence from the use of Character Growth Sheets with students, then unpack the practical mechanics of designing and using them. Participants will leave with a framework for creating a Character Growth Sheet that fits their own course, including areas where some of the most important learning is difficult to capture through traditional assessment.

* Applies for the following CITL Teaching Certificates

Certificates List

• Cheelan Bo-Linn Teaching Excellence Certificate
• Graduate Teacher Certificate
• Certificate in Foundations of Teaching
• Specialized Certificates
• CITL Engagement Certificate

Learn more about these and other CITL certificates.