Why bother about disqualifying a student?
Ajay S. Bhāgwat (??? ?????)
Design Thinker, OBE and CBME Educationalist, OBE advisor to top Universities in India
When most of the educational programs are developed to be a sourcing agent for industry’s needed skills and competencies, why concern about pass-fail baseline for students for the curriculum which is not aligned anyway with industry's need?
- Industry is the one who anyway decides whom hire and whom to reject based on the skills and competencies, then why to bother about pass-fail baseline for students, because it anyways doesn't help students - neither emotionally nor to be employed even if they get higher marks.
While grading the answers, when a teacher is told that “nobody should be given less than XXX marks” and the answer sheets are graded to push most of the students above the fail baseline, then why concern about pass-fail baseline for students? - because it anyways not helping students learn anything.
- If learning is not the primary goal; pushing students over the fail-baseline is the primary goal, then why concern about pass-fail baseline for students?
When it is decided that diluting Maths and other subject’s difficulty level will improve the passing %, then why concern about pass-fail baseline for students?
- If learning is not the primary goal; pushing students over the fail-baseline is the primary goal, then why to concern about pass-fail baseline for students?
Above can continue with more such questions but that’s enough to convey what point I am trying to convey.
Reflection of the similar mentality is ubiquitous in students too because they are molded by us in such an environment right from their primary education.
Let me clarify upfront that I am not saying that exams, assessments should be stopped. What I am saying that evaluate the answer and give the marks but don't "judge" the students. just give marks that's it. The justice to those who don't want to learn, will be given by industry where the jobs are available.
My thought is simple and I am pretty sure that many others must have shared similar views in the past. If you think more and more about the whole “examination” and “grading” process in education, you will start believing that the exams and grading is more to do with beating fail-baseline than the core objective of education, which is “learning”.
Examinations, formative or summative assessments, tests, etc, whatever you may want to call it, are surely essential part of evaluating the performance of teaching-learning process. It is not just the evaluation of performance of students; it is the evaluation of entire end to end process of teaching and learning happens in the given situation.
My point is that if we eliminate the notion of “pass” or “fail” and just to focus on “feedback” to everyone in concern, it will be more meaningful to everyone.
Imagine a hypothetical situation of evaluating all the exams, assessments without having a notion / baseline of pass-fail. Imagine that we will have to do is grade the answers and communicate the grades / marks / score. He grades could range from 0 to say, 100. But nobody is either called failed, or passed. It is the pure reflection of what the true reality of performance of teaching-learning is.
Imagine that the above method of evaluation continued until the end of an UG program and all the students are issued graduation degree. There are students who remain where they were right from beginning and there are a few students who gradually moved from lower levels to higher levels of grades.
Imagine that all of them are being interviewed by various industries and their filtration, interviewing process chose the best suited candidate for the role they have. So, the point is that, there is no need of unnecessary qualifying baselines for the performance of teaching and learning during the UG (For example) process, if there is no trust, discipline and creed in the evaluation process, which seems to be primarily designed to “beat the fail-baseline” and not aligned to true feedback to all those involved in teaching-learning. If so, why bother disqualifying a student, right?
If the current evaluation system can push a student up to 10th standard who writes the answers like the ones shown in the image below, what the credibility of current teaching-learning process? If such a student can reach 10th standard, why bother disqualifying a student, right?
Data Scientist @ Signify || Career Guidance @ CareerTests.in
4 年Finally our education system is supposed to teach students 'how to learn' things. The assessment is a reflection of a student's retention capacity. For interests etc. you cannot have 100 students and 1 teacher in class !! Let us not make our teachers feel guilty about this. If you want personalized attention, please go to relevant institutions.
Plant Head at PREMIER ENGINEERS
6 年I think most of our basic education system is based on enhancing "Qualification"of an individual rather than developing "Capability"and "Competence"besides "qualification"of an individual. If you go through Quality Management System series of standards; you will find classic definitions for distinctions referred above. I am giving here for your convenience. a. Qualification : A process to demonstrate the ability to fulfill specific requirements b. Capability : an ability of an individual or an organization or a system or a process to realize the product / out-put that will fulfill the requirements for that product / out-put. c. Competence : Demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills. As far as assessment process of ability of an individual to fulfill requirements is concern, I strongly believe that at-least from higher education, referring books should be allowed during examination. Appropriate application of knowledge is more important.
Associate Professor & Program Head (Comp Applications) | Microsoft Certified Educator | Edupreneur | Mentor
6 年Agreed to most of the points, but I feel continuous evaluation or assessment gives motivation to do better.
Plant Head at PREMIER ENGINEERS
6 年I will share my views tomorrow.