> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Barowy [mailto:wbarowy@lesley.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 1998 7:58 AM
> To: xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu
> Subject: We, Robot
>
>
> Eugene's comments on bell-curve grade distributions has intercepted my
> thoughts lately about how our cultural practices and structures militate
> against the development of ecological thinking, in particular, about
> sustainability of resources.
>
> What underlies the bell-curve ? Is the only assumption that
> performance as
> determined by some indicator will be normally distributed? Eugene's
> comments about the institutional pressure to make students' population
> performance normally distributed, regardless of what students
> have achieved
> towards the classroom objectives, makes me wonder.
>
> Why a curve then? Is there also an underlying motive for grade
> distribution? Are we fostering competition in our classrooms by
> grading on
> the curve? Do we believe that we will have better institutions of higher
> education because we grade on the curve?
>
In bell-curve we trust. I think that the bell-curve is produced by the
following institutional pressure on the instructor. If I give too many As,
I'll be in trouble because I'll "inflate grades." I also will be in trouble
if I give to many Bs or Cs because it means I didn't teach students
anything. So you can see how I'm programmed to do the bell-curve. In
addition, although it is not institutionally required, I can also create a
theory that some students are dumb (the majority) and some are smart (the
minority, including, of course, myself) and my grades reflect this
distribution. Ideally, grade generation practice should be fast and
non-negotiable. It can be easily achieved with multiple choice exams (back
to a social use of computers).
Our society is based on a need to sort people on those who will have and
those who won't have resources and access to participation in socially
valuable practices. Grading is a way to do it. Grading is detrimental for
students' learning because it punishes them for doing mistakes (as defined
by the instructor).
What can we, as instructors, do?
Eugene