The problem with grades
Yesterday I followed a link from D’Arcy Norman to this article in the Globe and Mail about a professor who was fired because he gave all of his students A+ grades so that they could focus on the learning instead of worrying about grades. While reading the very humorous comments I stumbled across a reference to this Calvin and Hobbes comic:
- © Universal Press Syndicate
It highlights what I hate most about the way the world conducts education.
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February 10th, 2009 at 8:41 am
I love this Calvin and Hobbes comic because it rings so true.
Students jump through hoops for grades, not for the learning. I hate that we pretend that testing and grades is an actual measure of the learning going on inside of the classroom.
I could rant on and on about this problem, but I think the comic says enough.
February 10th, 2009 at 10:05 am
I agree Shannon, that’s exactly why I chose it. If you look at all the comments on the article measured there are hundreds of people ranting on and on for and against the issue. On the other hand the comic with its 3-4 sentences seems indisputable.
February 10th, 2009 at 10:43 am
I don’t know. I would argue that at a university level, it becomes very difficult to get good grades unless you are actually learning how to apply your knowledge and think creatively. In which case, they are the best measure of learning we have on a large scale.
Also, I would say that anyone who is genuinely interested in learning will make the most of their education, regardless of the grading process, and those who are not will not become more engaged in their education if grades do not exist.
p.s. heya Andre
February 11th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Hey, the new design looks great! The ‘unknown’ box has finally been revealed!
Thanks for sharing the article. This does raise a few questions about the the academia… reminds me of this TED talk:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
February 12th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
@Sarah, hey Sarah. I do agree that there is a large amount of legitimate learning going on at University. However, you cannot say that you have not experienced a lot of what the comic is talking about. I simply argue that things should be more efficient, that we should never be learning things we intend to forget.
@Eastwood, Ken Robinson’s talk was actually one of the big motivators for my Terry Talk!
February 18th, 2009 at 8:41 am
lol. I love that comic XD So true.
How does one apply history like that, though?
March 10th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
[...] to make that choice. What if I was really into getting good grades (although we all know what I really think of grades)? Could I mislead people on discussion boards or during study groups in the hopes of bringing down [...]