Grading on a Curve as a Systemic Issue of Equity in Chemistry Education

Autor/inn/en	Bowen, Ryan S.; Cooper, Melanie M.
Titel	Grading on a Curve as a Systemic Issue of Equity in Chemistry Education
Quelle	In: Journal of Chemical Education, 99 (2022) 1, S.185-194 (10 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Bowen, Ryan S.) ORCID (Cooper, Melanie M.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0021-9584
DOI	10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00369
Schlagwörter	Grading; Equal Education; Chemistry; Bias; Educational Practices; Educational Change; Student Evaluation; College Faculty + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Notengebung; Schulnote; Chemie; Bildungspraxis; Bildungsreform; Studentische Bewertung; Fakultät
Abstract	Calls for diversity, inclusion, and equity in chemistry and science education have been ongoing. However, some faculty may find it difficult to challenge systemic inequities due to their pervasiveness. We posit that one working area for addressing systemic inequities in chemistry and science education is the removal of grading on a curve from our practices. Though this practice may be seen as traditional and "what people have always done", we offer nine critiques of this approach and how it may exacerbate systemic inequities rather than help students. These critiques challenge a variety of taken for granted assumptions about grading on a curve, including that it is more objective, is more efficient, and assists in controlling for grade inflation. Through our critiques, we hope to highlight that these assumptions are not entirely accurate and/or they act more as a sorting mechanism than as a way to evaluate learning. Using a brief history of grading in the United States, including some that speak to the evolution of grading on a curve, empirical evidence, and expert perspectives on diversity, inclusion, equity, and persistence, the aim of this paper is to use our critiques of the assumptions of grading on a curve and challenge the taken for granted beliefs about the practice. Our goal is to offer a strong argument against grading on a curve so that it becomes a working area for faculty to address systemic inequities by removing the practice from courses and adopting more informative and equitable approaches to learning and assessment. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01