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. > So....do 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... > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu)
