Re: grade inflation, etc.

["Richard W. Tarara" <rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Digby Willard" <dwillard@milk.central.stpaul.k12.mn.us>
> Suppose I have two students who work together in a lab.  One student
> understands the purpose of the lab better, figures out what equipment to
> use and how to set up the lab in order to give good results, analyzes the
> first set of data, and on the basis of the results proposes a second
> experiment to investigate a trend in the data.  The other student
> contributes to the lab, but clearly doesn't have the understanding of the
> physics that the first student does.  The first student doesn't turn in a
> lab report; the second one does.  Which one has better ability to "perform
> physics?"

It doesn't matter how much one knows, or how skilled one is, if one doesn't
demonstrate the knowledge and/or skill in some 'useful' way.  In school, we
use assessment tools like tests, quizzes, and assignments (lab reports in
this case) to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.  It
is also important to assess attitude and work ethic in students to help
determine how well they will do at the 'next level'.  The student above (and
those 'bright' students from another note) who don't have the discipline to
do the assignments are poor risks for employers (whether in research,
business, or academia).  Yes, some will rise above the immaturity that leads
to 'blowing off' assignments, but perhaps the very impetus to do so will be
the lower grade received in the course.  In other words--you NEED to
penalize the person who does not turn in a report.

Grades are only one indication of ability.  That's why schools and employers
usually want two or three evaluations.  Grades, standardized tests, letters
of recommendation are common.  The first often can indicate as much about
work-ethic as raw ability, the second about retained knowledge/skills and
sometimes raw intelligence, and the third can provide insight into the
individual and can often explain away lower levels in the first two.  The
recommendations are usually the most important piece of information for the
evaluator and therefore it was EXTREMELY alarming to me to hear some of the
stories (from a thread a few months ago) about how the letter of
recommendation process has been subverted in some schools.

Rick

*********************************************
Richard W. Tarara
Associate Professor of Physics
Department of Chemistry & Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
219-284-4664
rtarara@saintmarys.edu

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