Korean Job Discussion Forums

Keepongoing · Joined: 13 Feb 2003 Location: Korea

It is not my favorite thing! It stresses me out. We must grade so the average is between 82-85 for all classes combined. That is hard if you have a very small class with great students. Then we have a ton of paperwork to submit after finals. This is at University level. In speaking classes this can be quite subjective and even in writing classes at times. To go by a strict rubric would be a nightmare as you still need to stay within the average. Also, I find that a "B" is not considered a good grade here. In my Uni years, a "B" was good to get. Students here compare their grades and if theirs is a 90 and someone else got a 94, they are not pleased. A hard earned "B" in the States is something to feel good about, except maybe in grad school where I had to maintain a 3. average.

ANother interesting note about grad school was that on graduation day we had a party and talked about our Prof's and everyone agreed that the hardcore "hard to get a "B" profs" were better than the easy "A" ones. It seems quite different here.

Anyway, this post is kind of 2 related subjects, but I did not want to write 2 posts, so just comment where you wish.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

The rules of grading in Korea are much different for many people when having to fit everyone into the passing category. It is somewhat disheartening to be forced to issue a B or an A to someone who can hardly put five English words together into a functional sentence. However, we work with the system we have been introduced to, with slight modifications when we can get them in. It may be that your only control in the grading of students is to use what you mentioned regarding the percentage variations, especially when you have students in your classes who see no reason for learning English, and it shows in their classroom behavior and attitude...

Zark · Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:35 pm Post subject:

The university I taught at had similar rules - in fact when you entered grades in the computer it would erase all of them at the end if you didn't get it right!

I put it on the school - they, after all, came up with the rule. The first few classes of the year, at midterm and at final exam time, I would very clearly explain to the students how the grading system worked. I even pointed out that if you have a 92, you might still get a "C" - if it was a particularly sharp class.

Being quite open about the system, I felt, took a lot of pressure off of me. That and good notes and a fairly objective scoring system in which I gave them their grades in points for everything all semester long. Never had a complaint with it.