Learning and the Grades
There are students who come to class only focus on grade but nothing else. They will do anything to get a good score on a test. To them, a grade means everything whether or not they learn anything. Some even memorize the entire chapter and hope to pass the test. Since my tests require thinking and application, these students do not do well.
At the beginning of every course that I teach, some students were shocked by the grade in their first test as it was not what they expected. Some blamed me for giving a difficult test. To show them that learning is more important than grades and test is a process for students to check their learning progress. I often require students to do a test review as follow:
After receiving the test result (i.e. the grade), students must review their test and find the correct answer for each question that they missed by themselves. For the next class, they have to explain to me why their original answer was incorrect and why they missed the question. For example, they may not read the question correctly; they may use incorrect logic; they did not know the answer, or they focus too much on memorization but not knowing how to apply the concept. During the review, I ask them: “Is the grade an accurate measure of what you knew at that time? How well prepared they are for the test? I also provide some information on what could they do to improve their learning before the next test.
I explain: “Grade is only an evaluation of your work. It is a way to let you, your parents, the school, and future employers know about your performance in my course. By knowing how you are doing, you can improve and continue learning. The grade identifies what you understand and what you do not, and where you can improve. There are some of you who are not happy with your grades as it is only one test but there will be more. Do not worry for just one or two tests, I know some of you may feel frustrated but when you go to work, the most important is the quality of what you do or how well you solve the problem, there is no grade at work. As software engineers, your job is to complete the task that you are assigned within the schedule given. It is more important to learn how to apply the concept to solve the problem, therefore, you must think deeply and logically about what you have learned. All of my tests are designed to help you develop these skills. You must learn how to apply, how to solve problems, and if you do well the grade will come naturally. But if you only focus only on grades, and passing the test, you may lose interest in the learning itself. When you only care about the grade, you will avoid any challenging task because it may not give a better grade that you want then you will not learn deeply or willing to take risks. By doing the test review, find the correct answer to your incorrect one by yourself, you know what you have learned and what you have not. By knowing your deficiency, you will be able to correct your learning then your grade will reflect that.”
After a few tests, and a few discussions, most students learn how to study well enough to get them better grades. Eventually, they are doing well in my class.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
