Jorge Mahecha

Grade inflation is undesirable for many reasons. It trivializes exceptional achievement and makes it seem just like regular achievement. It confounds meeting course objectives with going above and beyond them. It makes students believe that getting an A is their divine, god-given right. On the teacher’s side, in practical terms, grade inflation reveals a misscalibration of standards.

Hay una pregunta difícil que todo instructor debería hacerse. Como ejercicio motivador, propongo lo siguiente: piense en ese estudiante que, contra todo su mejor juicio e instinto, aprobó su clase. De hecho, obtuvo una nota muy buena, mucho mejor de lo que usted hubiera esperado, y no muy lejos de otro estudiante que sí destacó excepcionalmente y lo motivó a enseñar con entusiasmo. Ese último, comprometido y profundamente involucrado en su aprendizaje, obtuvo una A. El otro, una A-. 

The hard question this scenario is meant to motivate is: What is the lowest grade you would give someone meeting your course objectives or learning goals? Is it a B? Maybe you are thinking that everyone who meets your course goals should get an A. Then I’d argue you have a serious course design problem, unless your goals are designed to elicit exceptional behavior. It is not just “understanding the principles of X and Y” and applying them to resolving practical situations. It is mastering those principles. It is showing quality and originality that is rarely seen in the context of your course. A is reserved for exceptional performance. A- is doing very good work. B+ is good work. Good work should be rewarded. But not with A. 

B (Un 80% en nivel de logro) debería ser la máxima calificación que un estudiante que cumple todos los objetivos de aprendizaje debería obtener. Podría ser menor, aunque cuánto menor es un tema complejo. No tengo claro qué significa un desempeño del 60% o 70%, o notas como C o C+. Y lo digo como alguien que en su momento se benefició de algún C+ como nota mínima aprobatoria Al explorar la parte baja de la escala, también encontramos información reveladora. En muchas instituciones, una C no se considera reprobatoria. ¿Debería serlo? ¿Qué significa? Quizá que no se cumplieron todos los objetivos, o que los que se cumplieron lo hicieron de manera poco destacable. Pero, en términos de desempeño, las cosas no están tan mal como para obligar al estudiante a repetir el curso. 

As educators, instructors, or certifiers, we should take grades very seriously. Grades are not “just numbers” (they are not even numbers). Grades are certificates of proficiency in our respective crafts, and if we don’t take our craft seriously, our students would not either. I’ve heard criticisms of grades, saying that grades are “reductionist” and that they make learning transactional. I’d say those are precisely their main virtues. Yes, grades summarize all the wonders, processes, tasks, and everything that happened in a learning experience and turn it into just a number or a letter. It is amazing and a wonder of the world, no doubt. Do they capture the whole essence and worth of a human being? Of course not. That’s not their intended use; please never use them for that. Grades are just proficiency certificates on a very narrow slice of human experience. Grades make learning transactional, yes. Students focus too much on grades, yes, as they should if grades are assigned conscientiously and seriously. It is a transaction. It is up to us to make it a worthy and fair transaction.