Korean Job Discussion Forums

[withnail]

Do you ever tell your university students what their grades are before they get the chance to evaluate you on the computer system?

Some argue that its best to tell the students their grades in 1-1 interviews on the last day of the semester. The argument goes that this will head off grade disputes early as you'll be able to see the student's reaction and go through their marks with them.

Those who this think this way, say they can head off on vacation, safe in the knowledge that they've dealt with any potential problems at the first opportunity.

For others this is suicide! The reason is that your students will not yet have evaluated you and they are likely to get their own back on you if they are unhappy with the grade.

The reason given is that students who are given their grade ahead of time will have a good few weeks to let it sink in, compare their grades with their friends and form a grudge!

So what do you think? For the student and for the sake of your evaluation - is ignorance (until they get the grade online) bliss?

Or are your students mature enough to understand the curving system and evaluate you fairly even though they (unrealistically) expected an A or A+ just for turning up, but then got a B+.

Do you risk telling them their grades pre-evaluation to get any disputes over with, or do you agree with others who believe there is a very good reason why students have to evaluate their professor before getting the grade?

[Tamada]

Hi Withnail,

Good post. Let me say, that my total overall student evals have never been below 4.5/5 at the end of a semester.

Now to answer your question......

Students get their final grade from me after most of them have already evaluated me.

If I gave the final grade before most have evaulated me, would my evals be lower? Come on mate, wtf do YOU think?

Personally, I see student evals as a game of chess.

Knowledge is power and ignorance is bliss.

[withnail]

Hey Tamada.

Actually I experimented for the first time last semester with giving them their grades early and...they caned me in the evaluations!

However my colleagues who teach freshmen always do this and report no probs. I teach the rather dry "Classroom English" module to sophomores. Perhaps there's more stick there to beat me with as I don't do a song and dance act!

Well, we'll see at the end of this semester! I don't think I'll be trying that again...

[Tamada]

[withnail]

Excellent advice and I won't make that mistake again! I reckon those youngsters at my school who claim it makes no difference are going to come a cropper one of these days...

[Tamada]

[withnail]

Although there is a curve system in most Korean universities. I'm secretly impressed by the guys who give out grades early and still get good evaluations in a curve-system where they must adhere to an 86% average.

In my classes, there are so many nice girls who do absolutely everything required of them, pretty well too, and it's difficult to discriminate. They come on time, do their assignments and homeworks well and participate fully.

To give one of these a higher grade than any other is inviting trouble! The lazy boys are easier to grade. Often it's the Bs for some of these guys that make As possible!

I think I was into my third interview last semester dishing out grades when I realised it was a bad idea. I think they were comparing grades outside my office door!

Worse still...two of the main grading tasks were done in pairs and if two girls got different grades because of other factors, well...it's no surprise that many felt the need to give me a pasting!

[Tamada]

I usually get around 10 emails from students at the end of the semester complaining about the final grade.

It's fine though......because I already made a template.

Dear _____________ thank you for your email.
Your overall score for all completed tasks and assignments was _________
Your overall class ranking was at #20 out of 30 students.
Therefore due to the university bell curve grading system, you received a C grade.
I wish you the best of luck in your future studies and career.

Sincerely,
Professor _____________

[withnail]

Nice one. I might try that.

Incidentally on the subject of "ranking" - This semester at our university we all discovered that the university ranks us - the native speaker instructors!

This was a surprise given that there are only 8 of us and we teach different things! I wonder what useful information that gives anybody!

I guess they shouldn't be surprised that freshmen conversation instructors rank higher than others...

[naturegirl321]

Did it last time, I do NOT recommend it, students will get revenge, even going as far as saying that I never spoke English in class

There should be a grievance period if they want to complain. Don't give them their grades ahead of time. When I was in uni, I ALWAYS evaulated my profs BEFORE I got my grades: this was in the US, in Spain, and in Australia. Don't see why it should be different here.

My re-hiring depends 99.99% on student evals, nothing to do with outside studies, publications, workshops, conferences, etc. I will never ever ever give studnets their grade beforehand

[withnail]

+1