Who's tried Ungrading in STEM courses?

[hutchphd]

This is why good teaching requires good teachers. It is not a one size fits all proposition and god save us from the monolith.

I had several excellent teachers in High School. None of them taught me science. The one who really did me the most lasting good was my award- winning choir director. I was perfectly happy singing bass baritone in an extraordinary choir (better than subsequent Cornell Glee club) but Mr Baber let it be known to me during my junior year that he had decided I should be the lead in the senior musical a year hence. I had never sought the limelight, and there was no planet upon which I wanted to to do that, but there was no way I would let him down. What a gift he gave me.

I believe the education I received in Ohio public schools in the 1960's using the "old" paradigm served me well. Of course I was (maybe upper) middle class and white and had extraordinary parents of bone fide american purity to back before the revolution. But it did work well for me.

The answer as I see it is simple but not easy. Hire talented teachers. Pay them well. Treat them with dignity. Constrain them lightly.

EDIT: It has been pointed out to me (thanks @berkeman ) that this could be interpreted other than as intended. I am not at all pleased that there was and is rascism and xenophobia everywhere in a US society and it was worse in my youth. I was simply supplying "truth in advertising" that I had a particularly privileged childhood because of societal norms . Would that everyone could say the same and enjoy those benefits

 

[BillTre]

I think an important aspect of public speaking include confidence in front of crowds and confidence in your subject.
I had rather severe stage fright when I was young, but I took a HS class where the main thing was to get people to embarrass themselves in front of the class.
Since nothing bad happened, this lead to the extinction of that emotional response.
I am now pretty fearless in front of crowds.
I also use an attitude that on the subject I am talking about, I know more than the audience and they want to hear what I have to say.
The rest is talk organization which I think is pretty straightforward.

I think being able to confidently speaking in front of people is a benefit for many careers.