Dear Colleagues, Although my posting on our grading schemes was descriptive, I agree with Steve that percentages meaningful. Different people may use different standards, so they are open to the criticism that 70% in one course at one institution does not mean the same thing as the same grade in another course at another institution. But that could apply to letter grades too.
Some might say that letter grades are better measures of achievement because they do not give an illusion of precision. For example, how accurate is "70%" as a measure of the "true" score? Should there not be a confidence interval around it? It might be argued that because letter grades are not as precise and automatically imply intervals, they are better representations of true scores. However, although this comment may apply to a specific percentage for a particular piece of work that is subjectively graded, it is less likely to apply to a final course grade, which is probably an aggregate of a number of components. For example, in one of my courses, students write two progress tests that contain a mixture of multiple-choice and short-answer questions, a term paper (essay) and a final examination that consists of short-answer and essay questions. Each component may be open to the criticism of unreliability (personal error in scoring), but together such errors should average out giving a reasonable true score estimate. This estimate is likely to be even more accurate with completely objective scoring schemes. So I would submit that a percentage course grade is defensible. By this argument a student's average for all courses over a term is even more likely to be a good estimate. Stuart .ruDate sent: Thu, 4 Apr 2002 23:47:30 -0500 (EST) From: Stephen Black <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Grading Scales Send reply to: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > My esteemed colleague, Stuart Mckelvie wrote: > > > > We are still in what some would call the Dark Ages. We submit > > percentage grades for students, not letters. > > Some might call it the Dark Ages, but not me. I'd call it > sensible. Letter grades and grade point averages are among the > dumbest inventions of academic bureaucracy. Percentage grades are > easily calculated, are readily understood, and mean exactly the > same thing at any institution. I can't say the same about the > opposition, which is why those who use them (practically everyone > else, apparently) have to spend so much time explaining them. > > If using percentage grades is the Dark Ages, I hope the > Renaissance never comes. > > -Stephen > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Stephen Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470 > Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661 > Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Lennoxville, QC > J1M 1Z7 > Canada Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy > Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at: > http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________ Stuart J. McKelvie, Ph.D., Phone: (819)822-9600 Department of Psychology, Extension 2402 Bishop's University, Fax: (819)822-9661 3 Route 108 East, Lennoxville, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Quebec J1M 1Z7, Canada. Bishop's University Psychology Department Web Page: http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy ___________________________________________________ --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
