The Purpose And Value (Both Positive And Negative) Of Grades

Grades are used in every academic course, yet the purpose and value of them differ significantly for every individual, including both teachers and students. Instead of grades being used to measure and report to a student their ability to learn and comprehend certain concepts, they are used and seen as achievements and the reward in itself.

There are many views of the value and purpose grades hold for students and teachers, and these perspectives vary significantly. An article published through The Chronicle of Higher Education discusses this topic in depth and uses a cars speedometer as a reference (CHRON). The author goes into detail stating that “Consider a car's speedometer. It is a tool that performs two interrelated functions: (1) It measures speed, and (2) it communicates that information to the driver.” The author continues to make this analogy between grades and a speedometer to show that despite grades being used to measure how well a student knows a certain topic and communicate the results, it often times misused and students aim to receive a certain grade rather than to actually learn the necessary material. In this viewpoint, it is shown that grades should be used as tools rather than the end goal as this source argues.

Another viewpoint this source has is that the sole use of grades should not be to qualify for certain scholarships, colleges, and graduate programs, or to have a certain GPA. The purpose should not be to advance in life, instead the purpose should be to reflect one’s ability to learn. Based on that, another article published through The Chronicle of Higher Education supports the idea that the main purpose of grades should be to reflect one’s learning. The author of the article is a religion professor and he wants to eliminate stress and worry in college students lives and instead allow them to learn without the fear of receiving a bad grade. In this perspective, it shows that students oftentimes put more value on grades than learning and without the worry of receiving a bad grade, students are able to fully absorb and understand the teachers lectures.

Based on these differing perspectives, grades and school should be a mix of all the above viewpoints. Specifically, teachers must set forth the example that the importance is learning and with learning and fully understanding will come a good grade. Grades should be clearly reflective of students’ ability to learn, instead of the other way around. Professors, teachers, parents, colleges, and graduate programs must be willing to understand that grades should not a reflection of students’ effort but rather their ability to comprehend and learn. With lower emphasis and pressure or receiving good grades, students will be able to focus on what should be their priority, learning.

In Robert Fried’s Game of School, he illustrates school as a game rather than a place to learn and grow. He shows that students are instilled with the mindset that grades are what is important rather than learning. In this monograph, Fried discusses that once students reach high school their focus shifts to how they will succeed in the future, and many students turn to cheating and academic dishonesty to receive grades that will allow them to get into prestigious colleges.

Once again, this perspective supports the idea that professors need to emphasize learning from the get-go rather than grades and how to be obedient and follow directions. A challenge that comes with this idea of emphasizing learning and not grades is how will colleges and other programs be able to distinguish students without having numerical data that otherwise does so. With this challenge comes a number of solutions including supplements that colleges can use that will give them an understanding of that student and their work ethic and ability and willingness to study and learn.

Overall, grades are widely interpreted and used as standards for both parents and students, and in order for a shift to occur professors must place an emphasis on learning rather than receiving good grades, and this can be done through more interactive class discussions and less graded work.