Today I read an article by Dr. Walter R. Tschinkel of Florida State University. He noted that while grades aren’t like sports scores, some students treat their academic marks as points to be collected and tallied.
The TurnItIn.com gradebook does a nice job of displaying a student’s grade, based upon the assignments that have been submitted. But at this point in the term, there are always some students who look at their scores and ask me what they “need” on their remaining assignments to “get” a certain final grade. Usually that final grade is a B, because their student funding depends upon maintaining a specific GPA.
Students don’t “get” grades. Grades are earned. Part of my job as an instructor is to set up assignments that help me measure a student’s mastery and understanding of course concepts.
There were some courses I took as a student in which I learned a lot, but my final grade wasn’t very good. Grades are just one outcome of a graduate education. As I mentioned on April 3, graduate students must learn how to become lifelong learners in their field of study. The practice of meta-learning takes time to master, and it’s more like building a house than playing a game.
At the end of a game, all we are left with are numbers. After graduation, the graduate student should have built a solid foundation of knowledge that can only be created through their efforts, day by day, brick by brick.
Tschinkel has replaced multiple choice exams with essays. I’ve used this method for the last few terms. While essays take more time to grade than a multiple choice exam, it takes almost a lot of time to write and validate good multiple choice questions. I have my own doubts about the utility of multiple choice exams, especially in online courses. However, I have few doubts that managers and professional need the ability to use, discuss and write about information systems.
Like Tschinkel, I sometimes ask similar questions throughout the term. That’s another way to gauge progress and understanding. It’s a not-so-subtle method of getting across the key points I need to make in a course, too. To quote an old Latin proverb, repetition is the mother of learning.
Students who have kept up with my blog this term have found that I tend to focus on specific issues. The tag cloud on my blog home page is one attempt at displaying this repetition. It’s hasn’t worked as well as I’d hoped, partly because I’ve got so many tags or categories in this blog. But it’s a start.
One other point that Tschinkel made is covered in the final paper assignment of my courses this term. The reflection paper gives students an opportunity to assess their performance before the final exam. It’s a motivational tool. Instructors can’t force students to read a blog entry or buy a textbook. That’s almost as hard as making someone learn. When people learn with enthusiasm, it’s because they see value in the content and the experience.
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