Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SuperHero]

There is an interesting article in Macleans Magazine about the validity of grades.

http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/education/article.jsp?content=20040112_73072_73072

[Skarp]

Grades are unhelpful in most circumstances.

A pass/fail system of criterion referenced assessment is best.

Competition in education hampers progress and stifles achievement. You never know enough. You are never good enough. There is always more to learn, whether you are top or bottom of the class.


People need to reach a certain standard to be 'qualified' for the next level, be it to work professionally or continue to a higher level of study, so we've got to have assessment and some of this can look quite traditional.


People like to get grades - they like to get 'A's. It makes them feel good. more and more schools and teachers give out more and more 'A's as time goes by. They are smart people who want to be popular and who want their courses to be popular. Being a strict teacher usually means students don't enrol for your course and you are dismissed or have to write a new course!

Turkeys don't vote for xmas.


Funniest thing I ever heard on this was a lecturer who graded all students in the following manner. Estimate students height in cm. Divide by 10. Round up. Give this mark out of 20. (Max 20)

As good as most systems.

Skarp

[Mr. Pink]

[steroidmaximus]

I took several classes at Uni which had portfolios, reflections, peer evaluations; they were considered peer centered learning. While some criticized the prof for seeming too distantly removed from the process, if you really looked you could see he sweated his butt off. I learned way more in those classes than in the traditional sit-and-listen-to-some-bald-headed-geek-dressed-as-a-flood-victim-give-a-lecture type of classes. while the latter were useful and would be better for certain subjects, I do think the former should be more broadly implemented.

I've tried to use elements of the former in my uni classes, often to fail. I've realized just how hard and how much work the former method requires, but then I remember what I got out of it, so I keep trying.