Hi
On Tue, 16 Nov 1999, Martin J. Bourgeois wrote:
> When I started here at the University of Wyoming last fall, I
> went through a new faculty orientation, and the dean gave a
> talk regarding grade inflation, and how we should all be aware
> of the problem. Then he explained something we keep track of
> called a "grade differential index," which is a comparison of
> students' overall gpa to their grade in your class. Instructors
> who consistently grade higher than average end up with positive
> indices, and the dean explained that if this happens
> consistently to a professor across classes he/she may be called
> on it. I raised the idea (which another TIPster already
U of Winnipeg also has something like this, called a course
comparison index (CCI). It shows the average performance of
students in your class relative to their performance in all other
classes. A university committee examines CCIs before approving
final grades for presentation to Senate and can withhold approval
pending explanation or even change grades for a course that is
too deviant. The committee also examines grade distributions and
dropout statistics for the course at the same time. Although
this kind of index helps, it cannot fully prevent
institution-wide drift nor handle the situation where students
aggregate in easy courses (i.e., easy courses are being compared
to average of other easy courses).
Best wishes
Jim
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James M. Clark (204) 786-9757
Department of Psychology (204) 774-4134 Fax
University of Winnipeg 4L05D
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
CANADA http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/~clark
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