I had very mixed reactions to the article. I don't grade on curve and never will. Yet my introductory psychology exam scores fit one pretty nicely and have over the past several years (after an adjustment based on item analysis - that isn't complex but also isn't my point).
The end result is that an A isn't the most common grade in my class and I hear about it from students (and sometimes administrators). I agree that every student should have the opportunity for mastery but the author asserts that mastery = A. It doesn't and it shouldn't. I'm opposed to grade inflation for some academic integrity reason, I'm opposed to it because I think grade inflation is what is causing all of the stress, anxiety and problems that plague college students. I am perfectly comfortable sending a student who earned a C in introductory psychology into an advanced psychology course. Can C ever be considered mastery? Should it? Would reducing the expectation of perfection reduce stress? I'm interested in hearing others views on this, because I can see both sides and I appreciate the wise voices of others. Doug Doug Peterson, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology The University of South Dakota Vermillion SD 57069 605.677.5295 ________________________________________ From: Christopher Green <chri...@yorku.ca> Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2016 2:58 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re: [tips] Raise your hand if you grade on a curve Or, you could just stop distracting everyone form the actual learning by not giving grades at all. But you have heard this rant from me before. Chris ….. Christopher D Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 43.773895°, -79.503670° chri...@yorku.ca http://www.yorku.ca/christo ………………………………... On Sep 14, 2016, at 10:08 AM, Miguel Roig <ro...@stjohns.edu> wrote: > Now consider changing your strategy: > http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/11/opinion/sunday/why-we-should-stop-grading-students-on-a-curve.html?_r=1 > > :) > > Miguel > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: chri...@yorku.ca. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62bd92&n=T&l=tips&o=49454 > or send a blank email to > leave-49454-430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62b...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: doug.peter...@usd.edu. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=12991.6a54289b29ceb58cb7609cc50e0dc1c8&n=T&l=tips&o=49455 or send a blank email to leave-49455-12991.6a54289b29ceb58cb7609cc50e0dc...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: arch...@mail-archive.com. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=49456 or send a blank email to leave-49456-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
