Progressive Students At Oberlin College Want To ABOLISH LOW GRADES

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

http://www.progressivestoday.com/progressive-students-oberlin-college-want-abolish-low-grades/

[bcking 3,157]

It's not clear from that article what they want to replace it with?

I will say most Medical Schools these days have done away with "grades" of any sort. Tests are all "Pass/Fail" now. Some places have an "Honors" option, but I think most are just Pass/Fail. There were legitimate concerns regarding competition amongst students. My dad has told me that when he went to medical school they would publicly post the test scores of everyone and so they would all compare each other. Most schools have done away with that, and I think that is for the better.

Just having B's and A's though is strange. However, at least when I was in college I always thought it was strange that "C" was called "Average" and yet in most courses it was anything but (a B tended to be average). I think that mentality helps create the problem, because then the few teachers who actually curve the class so that the mean or median gets a C are seen as being "tough". It's a little messed up.

[jg121783 3,915]

It's not clear from that article what they want to replace it with?

I will say most Medical Schools these days have done away with "grades" of any sort. Tests are all "Pass/Fail" now. Some places have an "Honors" option, but I think most are just Pass/Fail. There were legitimate concerns regarding competition amongst students. My dad has told me that when he went to medical school they would publicly post the test scores of everyone and so they would all compare each other. Most schools have done away with that, and I think that is for the better.

Just having B's and A's though is strange. However, at least when I was in college I always thought it was strange that "C" was called "Average" and yet in most courses it was anything but (a B tended to be average). I think that mentality helps create the problem, because then the few teachers who actually curve the class so that the mean or median gets a C are seen as being "tough". It's a little messed up.

Some areas of study are just fine with an "ABC" grading scale. Some such as your area of study and my area of study are better off with a "pass/fail" system. I went to school for a machine tool diploma and while we did have an "ABC" grading scale all of our shop projects were graded on a pass (within blueprint specs which got you an A) or fail (do it over again until it is within blueprint specs) scale. This is the way it should be because in the real world when working in a machine shop your part either passes or fails inspection. There is no in between. I would imagine it is the same as a doctor. Either you diagnose something right or you diagnose it wrong. That being what it is I think it is a stupid idea to get rid of "low" grades. In the real world you either do somethign right or you do it wrong. You are not going to get a pat on the back just for trying. I though college was supposed to prepare people for the real world. I'm glad I went to tech school where I avoided all the politically correct nonsense. By the way most people who obtained a machine tool diploma where I went to school with a C average found it very difficult to get a job.

Edited November 17, 2016 by jg121783