Innovative assessment and grading practices in higher education: a critical exploration for management educators

Assessment and grading are among the most influential factors shaping student learning in higher education. Current practices are increasingly criticized for their limited capacity to promote deep learning and for their misalignment with pressing challenges such as academic integrity in the age of generative artificial intelligence, massification, equity, and the assurance of learning. This paper examines five innovative assessment and grading practices—authentic assessment, self- and peer-assessment, reassessment, standards-based grading, and ungrading—identified through the higher education literature. It then explores their uptake and potential in management education through a critical review of 58 assessment-related articles published since 2005 in four leading management education journals. While self- and peer-assessment are widely discussed, the other practices remain largely absent from the mainstream management education discourse. We argue that management education scholars and practitioners should engage more actively with assessment innovation, both to benefit from insights developed in the broader higher education field and to contribute meaningfully to that ongoing conversation. • Review five innovative assessment and grading practices in higher education. • Evaluates their relevance and uptake in management education literature. • Provides practical recommendations for management educators to begin experimenting.