Should South Adopt a New Grading Model?

Traditionally, final course grades largely depend on how many mistakes a student made on specific tests days and scores students from other assignments. In an alternative grading model some parents and students are discussing, performances on tests and assignments would strictly serve a diagnostic function that would help students and teachers determine which concepts the student had successfully developed—but, most importantly, the errors your student makes wouldn’t penalize his or her final course grade. Students could then study further and confirm the concepts they had newly mastered via subsequent evaluations. Proponents believe this new grading model would greatly relieve counter-productive stress and pressure that de-motivates students, and would help students love learning far more than before.

Your student’s final grade would depend entirely on the breadth of concepts acquired and demonstrated by the end of the semester, and all mistakes he or she made before mastering each new concept would be entirely ignored. Does the traditional grading model or an alternative like the one under discussion induce more stress, and does such stress help or hinder cognitive development and a student’s passion for lifelong learning? Add your own thoughts about this topic by clicking the link below that says 8 Comments (or some other number), write your comment in the box provided, and select whether you want to post your thought anonymously or reveal your identity.