Dueling Columns is a feature in which PantherNOW opinion columnists debate a pressing issue. This column in the “Do Alternative Grading Systems Really Work?” is in response to Rachel Gordon-Acavia’s Dueling Column: Making The Mark – Do Alternative Grading Systems Really Work?
By Camila Amieva | Contributing Writer
As a senior graduating this Fall semester, the grading system of GPAs and letters that have been an omnipotent presence in my academic career for most of my life will no longer be important, and no longer determine my success. The transition from a strict, numerical system of quality to the more flexible and fluid systems of workplace performance indicators is to say the least, very jarring.
We, as students, from 1st grade to senior year of high school to university coursework, are measured in academic success by a system that often strips the nuance of what makes a student’s work truly ‘good’ over how well the student followed the assignment instructions. Our entire academic careers are simply letters and numbers listed in a transcript or report card. A full school years’ worth of work, learning, and improvement is oversimplified to a single letter or GPA number.
The current system of grading in letters and GPA values at FIU is not entirely useless or even poorly constructed, as it is still very useful for more objective subjects such as mathematics and many scientific disciplines. Where it begins to become ineffective is in more creatively flexible subjects, such as arts courses and capstone project classes.
Alternative systems of evaluating a student’s work would allow more room for nuance in how the professor determines the quality of the students’ work, and for the student to learn more effectively through tailored feedback, reduced stress over grades, and have them leave the class with a genuine sense of intellectual and academic fulfillment.
As a digital communications major under the School of Journalism, I’ve had personal experience with a few of these alternative grading systems that professors have used. The most common one I have encountered is a simple Pass/Fail system. This system though, is great for introductory courses, or classes that teach foundational concepts of a creative subject. While this drastically reduced the amount of stress on whether my assignments were ‘good enough’ for an A, it also created the question of what counts as a ‘Pass’ or a ‘Fail’, which increased the more general anxiety of whether I would ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’ even after completing all assignments.
Another one I have encountered is mastery-based grading based on learning objectives set by the professor. For my more advanced classes that involved large projects in video editing, reporting, and content creation, the professor graded our work based on how closely we aligned with the learning objectives. The first few projects were a ‘baseline’ for the professor to see where our skill level was at, and he evaluated our work through how much we improved and incorporated his objectives throughout the semester.
Both of these alternative grading systems were fantastic for the specific courses they were used in; it allowed me to focus more on what I was learning without the stress of being ‘good enough’ for an A, and it gave me more detailed insight into where I can improve my skills, and be ready for the workforce once I graduate.
The most important thing to remember though, is that with grading systems, and evaluating something as subjective as quality, there is no one single solution for all classes and majors. The grading system used should be what best suits the class; basic introductory courses and general education classes can use a standardized rubric, while more major specific classes can use alternative grading scales. These alternative systems are especially the best solution for higher level classes in creative majors. The key here, for professors and university administrators, is to incorporate a grading system that will allow students to have the most insight into their learning process, and give them the best tools possible to grow into the professionals they aspire to be.
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The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect the perspectives of contributing writers and/or university community members.
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