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 Camila Amieva’s Dueling Column: Going beyond As and Bs: Can alternative grading help students learn more effectively?
By Rachel Gordon-Acavia | Contributing Writer
Since as early as the late 1800s, universities have depended on a traditional grading system to evaluate academic achievement. There are certain educators who question how effective the letter “A, B, C, D, F” grading system is, though. Instructors speculate about whether or not this is the best way to show what students have learned.
Although some students and instructors enjoy alternative grading systems, traditional letter grades are more efficient because they provide a comprehensible understanding of educational progress, encourage motivation, and offer a reliable way for an educator to tell how the individual is doing in school.
One main reason traditional letter grades are better is because they give students the opportunity to receive clear feedback. With this type of grading system, a student can clearly comprehend where they stand in the class. For example, an “A” indicates the student is doing very well in the course, while an “F” demonstrates the person is struggling tremendously.
While pass/fail grading methods take the pressure off of students to achieve academically, a great deal of educators believe there is an obscurity to this evaluation system. If a student earns a 75% and another earns a 95%, they can both pass the course. However, letter grades indicate that one student has performed much better than the other.
Another purpose of traditional grading systems is to motivate students to learn and succeed. Once a student is aware of what letter grade was given in the class, it helps the individual develop goals for the course.
It becomes important for the student to get an “A” on the group project, a “B+” on a reflective paper, or an “A-” on a big test coming up. After studying hard to improve in school, the feeling of realizing a goal becomes a rewarding experience and a valuable lesson on the importance of raising grades so students can be the best students they can be.
Traditional grading systems take the guesswork out of assessments by offering a reliable measure of academic achievement. Letter grades offer an objective way to communicate how effective a student’s performance is. Students, teachers, and colleges normally comprehend the contrast between “A’s” and “C’s”. Instead of requiring long explanations, individuals clearly understand the meaning of the letter grade.
In certain cases, traditional grading systems may cause testing anxiety, which is why some professors rely on alternative grading methods. It takes the focus off of receiving a perfect score and demonstrates the importance of mastering what is being taught in the course.
For this reason, some professors rely on alternative grading methods. There are many different ways for teachers to grade through this system.
Some professors use pass/fail grading, where students either graduate from the class or need to take the course again. There’s also narrative evaluation. With this method, the professor offers written feedback on a student’s assignments. Another popular alternative grading strategy is un-grading. For this method, professors avoid using traditional letter grades and offer flexible deadlines and opportunities to revise.
Moreover, it creates a collaborative relationship between teachers and students. Regardless of what the case may be, educators believe that alternative grading systems create many drawbacks.
Although there are some benefits to alternative grading systems, traditional letter grades provide objectivity that other methods do not. Standard academic evaluations offer structure, encourage discipline, and help students develop a clear vision of how well they understand what is being taught in their classes. In a world where hard work and the drive to succeed are valued above all else, that makes a reliable system such as traditional letter grades the very best one.
DISCLAIMER:
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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