Comments on: grades are bs http://www.matusiak.eu/numerodix/blog/index.php/2007/07/28/grades-are-bs/ A blog about nothing Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:14:03 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Brian http://www.matusiak.eu/numerodix/blog/index.php/2007/07/28/grades-are-bs/#comment-36210 Brian Sat, 28 Jul 2007 23:25:13 +0000 http://www.matusiak.eu/numerodix/blog/index.php/2007/07/28/grades-are-bs/#comment-36210 What's the alternative to grades? People (e.g. employers) need some way of telling a really good hard-working student from a lazy incompetent student. Grades are definitely flawed and largely subjective, but I don't see any better option. They do give you a very rough idea of how a student did in class. However if I ever got a prof who said "50% of you will get C's" I'd probably drop the course. If nothing else, grades are a measure of giving a professor what he wants. In that sense they are a good measure of what you'll be required to do later in the workplace when your boss says "Give me a program that does this, by Friday". What’s the alternative to grades? People (e.g. employers) need some way of telling a really good hard-working student from a lazy incompetent student. Grades are definitely flawed and largely subjective, but I don’t see any better option. They do give you a very rough idea of how a student did in class. However if I ever got a prof who said “50% of you will get C’s” I’d probably drop the course.

If nothing else, grades are a measure of giving a professor what he wants. In that sense they are a good measure of what you’ll be required to do later in the workplace when your boss says “Give me a program that does this, by Friday”.

]]> By: erik http://www.matusiak.eu/numerodix/blog/index.php/2007/07/28/grades-are-bs/#comment-36205 erik Sat, 28 Jul 2007 18:45:48 +0000 http://www.matusiak.eu/numerodix/blog/index.php/2007/07/28/grades-are-bs/#comment-36205 Reminds me when I handed in roughly the same essay for two different courses once. Both essays explained the same theory I came up with, although I adapted them in style of writing to suit the courses in question. Anyway the essence was the same and any differences that existed were superficial. One teacher graded it with a 9 (the scale being 1 to 10) and the other with a 5. You're completely at the mercy of a bunch of inconsistent morons. Reminds me when I handed in roughly the same essay for two different courses once. Both essays explained the same theory I came up with, although I adapted them in style of writing to suit the courses in question. Anyway the essence was the same and any differences that existed were superficial. One teacher graded it with a 9 (the scale being 1 to 10) and the other with a 5.

You’re completely at the mercy of a bunch of inconsistent morons.

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