Grading issue affects course planning, too
Posted April 27, 2010 at 8:43 pm in Featured, Opinion
As students, we have worried about the ABCs since before we could walk. We played with alphabet blocks and watched them swirl in our milk amid pastel Lucky Charms. And after learning to recite, read and write them, those letters have been circled in red on the top of every paper and exam supposedly quantifying our level of intelligence ever since.
Aaron Rovner | Daily Trojan
As USC students, it’s safe to assume most of us knew a report card filled with that pivotal first letter of the alphabet would be our best shot at joining the Trojan Family. Now that we are here, however, it seems many of us are still bogged down by that same goal.
“Take Writing 140 with this teacher — she grades easy.” “Don’t take Arts and Letters with that professor — he never gives out A’s.”
When registration rolls around, it seems students go on the hunt for classes that will guarantee them the best grade rather than enrolling in courses that interest them or enhance their chosen discipline.
This is apparent on the USC Undergraduate Student Government course guide website where students can submit and read reviews about professors and their courses.
Though the site states that “USG strives to hold each University member to the highest standards,” I’m not sure there is any benefit beyond students trying to determine how difficult a class and professor are going to be.
The areas of study offered in each category of the General Education program at this school are incredibly diverse and present a great opportunity for undeclared students to explore a variety of disciplines.
A freshman who is interested in politics, for example, could take the Law, Politics and Public Policy class (POSC 130) in order to fulfill a GE requirement, while simultaneously determining whether or not he might enjoy majoring in political science or international relations.
However, if the student goes to the course guide, and reads reviews that indicate the teacher is incredibly difficult and the course load is more than average, he will probably be discouraged from registering for the class.
A great opportunity is being missed here. While such classes should provide a chance for unsure students to dip their toes in the water before diving into a major or minor, the difference between course policies, workload and potential for success seems to discourage students before they get a chance to see if a particular academic discipline is right for them.
For those students at the bottom of the registration food chain, worrying about grade discrepancies only compounds the already stressful process of looking for any remotely interesting open sections.
Many students are indignant about the fact that relationships between teacher and student seem much more strained in college than in high school.
Emily Tong, a junior majoring in business administration, expressed her frustration by explaining, “When a professor tells us that only a certain number of A’s are going to be given out based on a quota, you literally start the semester off feeling like you have been set up to fail. It reminds me of high school when teacher’s did a bell curve.”
Even more upsetting to students is that the grading system is not universal. “It is really annoying when different rules apply to different classes,” said Tori Perez, a senior majoring in communication. “When certain majors make it so difficult to succeed people just chose a different concentration, and that is sad because we worked so hard to come here. We should be encouraged to follow our dreams, not scared from the start that we will fail.”
I don’t necessarily think implementing a universal grading system or universal rules for each course is the answer because each course is bound to be taught and evaluated differently.
But when students are discouraged from taking a certain class or pursuing a specific major because they fear they won’t get the grade they deserve, we have a big problem.
At this point in our academic careers, the ABCs should not be the first thing on our minds. The university should do its best to encourage teachers to evoke a love of learning in their students rather than a fear of final letter grades.
It would be a shame for USC students to start college, the beginning of their futures, on the wrong foot.
Sara Escalante is a senior majoring in political science.
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@NaW
That’s interesting, but doesn’t account for discrepancies between semesters. Last semester 20% of my class earned A’s, this semester it is only around 10%. The class size is the same but these students were just not as studious as last semester’s. Last semester’s 19/100 student would have earned an A, learning the majority of the material and this semester’s 19/100 student would have earned a B, actually learning much less (in my eyes) than an A student. Yet by the ranking system they would be ranked the same. This is the same reason why I don’t curve.
What students need to realize is that when they check “credit” instead of “audit” on the registration form they are agreeing to have their work judged – their actual work, not just their “effort”. Paying for and attending class is something one can do when auditing a class and not receiving a grade.
I think a big concern for many students is that they are afraid of learning they are actually just average. Students act like a C is the end of the world when, in actuality, they are being told they are doing just as well as most of the other students.
@NaW:
That’s a novel suggestion. If it could be combined with statistics from entry and/or exit standardized tests for samples of students representative of those comprising the classes, you would have a very informative grading system.
Student reviews of teachers are not worth much, except perhaps to slackers and other mediocrities. But I agree, grading sucks. Grades have become inflated (largely as a result of student course evaluations) so that, like the children in Lake Wobegon, everyone is above average. Instead of grades, let’s implement a means of evaluating students by ranking them in each class. Absolute ranking–no shared ranks. “Grades,” then, would read something like 103/104, 2/23, 35/35.