I agree with Annette here, but don't mind sharing some general info. Add also
the problem of plus and minus grading...faculty here voted that in and the
average grade soon became a B. My averages, even after withdrawals, are
typically 67-70% and I have gone to 65% of total points for a C. About 30% or
more in Psych 100 get Ds and Fs. mostly because of serious reading and study
problems, or just not attending. I am tenured and full-time, so not facing the
same kind of pressure as adjunct or new faculty to please or be popular. I am
not trying to be a hard ass, but just maintain some minimal college level
standard. I do extra credit only in Psych 100 to promote research
participation, and have feebie pts awarded for class exercises, demos, review
games, etc., in all classes. Some students complain when the average is 70% as
they now expect a B just for hanging around most of the semester. And so it
goes... Gary
Gerald L. (Gary) Peterson, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, MI 48710
989-964-4491
peter...@svsu.edu
- Original Message -
From: tay...@sandiego.edu
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) tips@acsun.frostburg.edu
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 10:34:14 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: [tips] Grade inflation: A comparison?
I sort of like the idea except that there are so very many variables that go
into each class's grades--which class it is (I have lower grades in lower
division courses and in research methods sections), what type of pedagogy is
used; what types of assessments are used; some people give extra credit and
some people don't; some people carry their grades to the nth decimal place
whereas some people don't believe they are using a true objective system and
are willing to round up (seldom down, ha ha); some of my sections are honors
sections and some are not and the honors students' grades tend to be much
higher on average; and so on and so on.
So, I'm not sure what we'd achieve by such as sharing because of all the
factors and variables.
Hmmm, I think I've talked myself out of the idea. Sorry.
Annette
Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
University of San Diego
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
619-260-4006
tay...@sandiego.edu
Original message
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:16:05 -0500
From: Beth Benoit beth.ben...@gmail.com
Subject: [tips] Grade inflation: A comparison?
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) tips@acsun.frostburg.edu
I've been wondering about the whole grade inflation
idea, as have all of you, for years.
In light of this, I'm curious how all of you grade,
and thus if you might be seen to be guilty, based
on the grades in your courses. We all know that
some years you just seem to have a lot of bright,
hard-working achievers, and some years you don't.
Sodo you think it's acceptable, worthwhile and
ethical for us to compare grades? I'll be the
first to offer my gradebook, from the last several
years and from three different colleges, but only if
you all agree that it's something to consider and
would be a worthwhile topic. Naturally, names of
students shouldn't be used, nor should the names of
the colleges. (I've actually taught at five
different colleges in the last nine years and I
could pull up grades from all of them. And I would
not divulge which grades came from where. Perhaps,
in the interest of anonymity, if you've only taught
at one college and recoil at the thought of having
your home base publicized, you could ask another
member of TIPS to post your grades without your
name. This is particularly important to consider
knowing that TIPS is able to be viewed by anyone.
While it might not be unethical to post grades
that are known to come from just one school, it
would be likely to be insensitive to the
administration.)
Also, if there is such a thing as grade inflation,
it shouldn't matter whether you teach at a high
school, a community college, a 4-year college,
university, etc. Grade inflation appears to
exist everywhere.
So what think you, colleagues? If you think it's a
good idea, let's do it. But if I've overlooked
some slumbering dragon, then I'll let this idea die.
Beth Benoit
Granite State College (now)
Plymouth State University (now)
and three others I shall not name...
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