alternative grading
-
Grade Inflation is a Symptom, Not the Disease (Part 4): Alternative Grading’s Role in Compression
In this series, I have been arguing that grade inflation, or the allegation that widescale grade increases have occurred absent corresponding learning and achievement gains, is a red herring. Whether grades are going up (and there is compelling evidence, if not definitive, that they are going up overall in higher education) because teaching techniques are… Continue reading
-
Grade Inflation is a Symptom, Not the Disease (Part 3): The (Irrational?) Exuberance of Alternative Graders
In this current series, I am exploring the tensions between two functions or philosophies of education: 1. That we should prioritize supporting all students’ learning and growth, and 2. That we should prioritize sorting the highest achieving students from the rest. I argue that the education system operates from the flawed, if mostly implicit, premise… Continue reading
-
Grade Inflation is a Symptom, Not the Disease (Part 2): The Specter of Grade Compression
In this subseries on the wicked problem of assessment, I am exploring the tensions between supporting the learning of every student and sorting students by levels of distinction and merit. I argued previously that: 1. Although the education system (and broader society) is more invested in sorting students, many teachers (like myself) are more invested… Continue reading
Teaching Inquiry 