Entrance Slip # 5: Marks, grades and their effects in schooling

Image source: https://blog.yorksj.ac.uk/moodle/files/2015/10/marking_feedback.jpg

As the students in the article pointed out, letter or percentage grades put a lot of pressure on a person and don't necessarily reflect their learning. I have been on both ends as a student. I once had a class in which I scored 24% on the first midterm and 50% on the second midterms, didn't really know what was going on, and still ended up with a B- in the end, without having improved by the final. I remember coming out of that class feeling like it was an utter joke but it likely had less to do with the instructor's teaching and more to do with the ways grades were calculated there. On the flip side, I have also been in situations where, even though I've improved by the end of the course and have gained proficiency in the course, I still have an overall lower mark because that's the way the grade averaged out. Therefore, from my own experiences, I understand that letter/percentage grades aren't the best indicators of knowledge or understanding so if I could take that into consideration with my students, I would like to. 

I have read about assessment methods including formative assessment throughout classwork and homework, providing feedback like it said in the article, and involving students in building criteria which was also mentioned. Even though giving letter/percentage grades the traditional way fits the system better and feels more organized or "fair" because they're just based off of right and wrong answers on a test/homework, these strategies would benefit a student more as the intention with them is to facilitate learning, create autonomy in students as opposed to trying to control them, and decrease unnecessary anxiety from fear of failing rigid tests. Letter grades and percentages can often be unforgiving and very much set in the mindset that the teacher holds the answers and the student must memorize the correct way to come about those answers, while these alternative methods show care and hope for success for the individual behind the score.

All that being said, I do understand that the current system requires percentage grades from students and does still rank students based on these grades, even if only in part. I think another reason why they haven't been done away with is because people like to organize others into boxes, which, to an extent, I understand. I may know my students, how they've improved, the different skill sets they have and the backgrounds they come from; however, if a university or employer was looking to take in one of my students, there is only so much they could learn from me, and only so much time they could spend per applicant. Over top of this, they don't know me either so they have to be cautious while taking in my input. Therefore, I think grades have this illusion of objectivity attached to them - if the student performed well on standardized tests, that must mean they are hard-working or worthy of the mark. I'll admit I'm not sure how this particular problem would be solved but I would be interested to see what alternative methods of accepting/hiring there are out there that I may not have experienced.