First, let’s agree that the idea that a group of letters can represent how much students understand a learning material makes very little sense. If you disagree, stick with me to the end of this piece; this alternative perspective will give you something to think about.
What’s the Point of a School Assessment?
In every class, a teacher sets learning goals for their students. These goals are often part of goals set within a school system from the preschool stage to the 12th grade and beyond. These learning goals make it possible for students to move from one class to the next with the right background to succeed at each class stage.
Assessment is how teachers check if the student has achieved learning goals.
We Started with Grades
A standard grading scale hasn’t always existed. In 1646, Harvard required students to take an exit exam after their studies, and that was the first time any standard tests were graded. Some history articles state that in 1792, William Farish, a Cambridge University tutor needed a way to teach and process students’ learning in a shorter time.
This desire to process students’ learning quickly led to his invention of grades.
But We Should’ve Evolved By Now…
Did you notice how grades are associated with speed and short periods? At the beginning of formal education, speed and time limits were probably important and necessary, but what about now? We should know better than to try to speed up anyone’s learning process; we have more than enough proof that learning in the classroom and beyond should not be rushed.
Still, grades, those letters representing a range of scores, have endured since the 18th century, but we should’ve evolved.
Here’s why…
We Have Evolved, and So Have Our Society and Environment…
Our environment frequently demands complex solutions, and our society has innovated more since the 18th century. That also means there’s more knowledge and information to learn now than ever in history. So, why is it still a good idea to rush through it? That’s just it; it’s not a good idea.
With as much knowledge as we keep amassing, we need more time in the learning process to master new details better. The kind of technology that doctors had access to in the 1900s has changed and with each new innovation, new knowledge needs to be absorbed to use that innovation.
So, What’s It All Have to Do With Grades
With more specialised information, grades will simply not cut it in terms of showing the student how much progress they’re making. For starters, these grades are awarded through standard tests where students have to sit in class or a big exam hall and answer questions on paper. In other practical classes, the grading is done according to criteria already fixed before students answer any questions.
Grades have got to go because they limit how much students can know about their learning process and how to improve.
Written Feedback is Way Better
It may not be as fast or timed as grades. However, it would go deeper into analysing a student’s learning process and informing them about it. It’s a lot like when you get a job, and at the end of every year, your line manager calls you into their office and discusses your performance with you. At the same time, you can discuss your challenges and the steps you can take to improve in the coming year.
Way better than A, B, C, D, E, or F…and I’ll tell you how.
When we want to understand ourselves, our progress, and how we learn effectively, we need as much detail as possible. There’s something really abrupt and undetailed about merely thinking about your learning progress or success in terms of 6 letters.
Written feedback is just way better for everyone–teacher and student.
I hope this helps!