Extra Extra - Grade or No-grade that is the Question?

'A' + LEARN = FAILURE???



Purpose & Approach  

   This article was extremely interesting and defiantly won my vote when it comes to getting rid of the traditional grading system.  The author Alfie Kohn was very persuasive in his writings.  He gave nine reasons as to how grading effects students. He mainly focused on a top three and provided some good examples. The first one was that “grades tend to reduce students’ interest in the learning itself”.  He argues that when a student is told that they would need to know something for a test then their focus changes. The material is then viewed as a chore and this is neither motivating or captures the student’s interest. He stated that research has shown that “grade orientation and learning orientation are inversely related”.   The second effect grades have is that they “tend to reduce students’ preference for challenging tasks”.  He made a very valid point in that students are not being lazy when they chose to cut corners, but they are being simply rational.  The fact is students are focused on getting a good grade and not on “intellectual exploration” of their project.  The third effect was that “grades tend to reduce the quality of students’ thinking”.  Alfie argues that when a student is given numerical grades then they show significantly less creativity in their work. I would have to agree because students who worry about their grades are also worried about how the teacher will view their work. If the student goes outside of the teacher’s parameters then they make get marked down to a lower grade.  I think this is why when a student knows they are not getting an actual numeric grade, but rather constructive feedback from the teacher then they tend to open up more and show more creativity in their assignments.

   The concerns that some of the teachers have about getting rid of ‘grading’ include either the unwillingness to give up that “instrument of control”, perhaps they think grades are needed to ensure the students show up to class, or that grades motivate students to do better. Some also say that colleges demand them.   Alfie argues that as long as students focus on only grades, then their learning will be affected. He states that by abolishing grades will “open up possibilities that are far more meaningful and constructive”.  

Personal Connection

   I could really relate to what the author was saying in this article.  I was/am one of those students that worry about their grade. All the way through high school I was always asking the teaching where I was at in reference to my letter grade. I wanted to make sure I did whatever it took to get that ‘A’. I could see how the focus on a grade can cause someone to lose their creativity on an assignment.  If you give me a rubric or a check list for an assignment I will make sure I hit every point in order to reach the top grade. Some teachers would even say that if we went beyond their list then we would get marked off points. I am also am a student whom values a teacher’s opinion and I enjoy getting constructive feedback far more than any letter grade.  There have been many instances when I got an ‘A’ on an assignment, but I had no idea why. There was nothing to learn from that experience. Another reason I don't like grading is I personally generally like to go above what the assignment is asking for, but I know that if I put all of the extra work into my assignment. I will get the same grade as someone who just met the minimum for that grade.  The motivation is not there.  I understand the concern that if we didn’t have grades then it would cause laziness and students to not want to do work. I think there should defiantly be a grade at the end of the class and some accountability, but I defiantly think that traditional grading is old school and we should encourage creativity.
Conclusion
   There have been many research studies that support the author’s point-of-view when it comes to how grading effects learning.  Bottom line is that they both cannot exist in the same learning environment without one being ineffective.   If you want a student to truly learn a topic and explore outside the parameters you set then give them the opportunity of learning without the burden of getting a letter/numerical grade. So how does this change take place? First, by having an open conversation of the pros/cons of traditional grading and make this a topic for discussion for the first year.  Also the students should be able to participate in how they will be assessed for their assignment. Let them set the standards of their assignment and give up some control. Not only will this free of time of having to log grades, but also will encourage less cheating and provide a more reliable objective way of assessing what the student’s have actually learned.

Implication

    This article aligns with the first NET standard ‘Creativity and Innovation’ for student learning.  The argument from this article is that by having a non-traditional way of grading in place will encourage more creativity and innovation in the classroom.   According to this article research has shown that learning and grading are “inversely related” meaning you can also focus on one in order to get a positive result.

APA REFERENCE:

Kohn, A. (1999, March). From Degrading to De-Grading. High School Magazine. Retrieved March 9, 2012, from http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/fdtd-g.htm

Here is the link:http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/fdtd-g.htm