Stop Grading Proxies for Learning
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Your grade in a class should depend on one thing only:
How well you’ve mastered the material.
Not on how neat your notes are.
Not on how studious you look.
A student who
- skips every lecture,
- teaches themself from the book,
- and aces the proctored exam?
They know the material.
They should get an A.
A student who
- has beautiful notes
- and perfect attendance
- but CAN’T solve the problems?
They don’t know the material.
Their grade shouldn’t suggest that they do.
Stop grading proxies for learning.
Stop pretending that sitting in a chair is evidence of learning.
Stop pretending that taking crisp notes is evidence of mastery.
Then maybe we could trust grades again.
Further reading: The Bar is Being Lowered .
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