Reflection on Module 9: GRADING AND REPORTING PARTICLES
The functions of grades and marks were also part of the comprehensive discussion of this module. It was emphasized that grades and marks are aiming to help guide the students and the parents with respect the future educational plans , to help the school decide upon the student’s readiness to enroll in certain selective programs or course, to help higher educational levels appraise an applicants’ acceptability for the program being offered and to help a potential employer decide on the suitability of the student for certain jobs that depends on academic skills. Generally, grades serve the purposes in administration, guidance and motivation.After delving deeper with the types of grades, we also involved ourselves with the discussion of the common grading-related problems and the guidelines for effective grading.
The following are questions which an instructor may want to answer when choosing what will go into a student’ grade: (1) should grade reflects absolute achievement level? (2) should grades reflect achievement only or others like non-academic components such as attitude, speed, and diligence? (3) how can several grades on diverse skills combine to give a single mark?. We realize that grading is not a simple task to do.
Grades reflect student achievement based on what the student knows and is able to do. Grading procedures will be applied consistently within and among schools. Grading practices must include clear and timely communication, alignment with curriculum, accurate reflection of student achievement, and fair representation of student performance. Grading practices must be fair and manageable, and support effective teaching and learning. An important element of a sucessful standards-based reform initiative includes grading and reporting that refers to specific learning criteria rather than normative criteria, Four grading policies that impose barriers to reform are described, Specific stategies to correct thse policies are offered. There is no single best practice in grading but guidelines will help to ensure that the meaning of grades is clear, and that they support learning and encourage student success. Most university faculty members will tell you that grading student work is one of the least enjoyable aspects of their jobs. In all but the largest classes, you get to know and care about your students, yet you are supposed to remain unbiased when grading them. Finding faults in your students’ work is unrewarding and reflects negatively on your own professional competence. Grading your own students is a conflict of interest. A good instructor is a coach, and good coaches usually make lousy referees. That’s why university systems in many countries have a strict division of labor between teaching and assessment of learning. The faculty members spend a semester or year working with students; then outside examiners write the exams and/or grade them. One of the common elements in these alternative teaching methods is structured student-student and/or student-instructor collaboration. The instructor assumes more of a coaching role. The work assignments typically involve multiple steps or analytic stages, and may require students to integrate multiple skills. The project may not have a single right answer. The destination matters less than the path followed. Collaborative learning skills are becoming essential in highly complex 21st Century workplaces.