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Effort In Grading

Effort In Grading
Education should have more of a focus on preparing students for life in the real world workforce, where results are more important than the effort put in to get there. Photo by Tommy Hemmert Oleson.

I believe effort shouldn’t be given extra credit in final exams (whether or not the level of student effort should be considered when assigning grades at the college level) because if you take a step back or look at the real world it simply cannot be allowed to happen.

In order for the student to write their exams, they would have had to do some research, learn more about what the assignment and tutors are asking of them and answer the questions etc thereby fulfilling their requirements which can be compared to the marking scheme. The overall grade received would reflect whether the student did or did not fulfill the requirements of what was being asked of them?

If the grade is low, the student either did not understand what was being asked of them or did not commit sufficient effort to gain the desired grade that reflects the student’s ability. However if the student was conscientious, more preparation and feedback would have been sought from the teacher, thereby understanding what was required and the result would reflect the students ability. The end result of the assignment will be down to ability and preparation. If marks vary it is because some students excel in different areas –academic/vocational.

I also believe that education should have more of a focus on getting the student ready for the real world. The student should be armed with the necessary skills and be competent in whatever job they apply for. The harsh reality is that life is a competition whether it be to represent the school, get a job, girlfriend etc.

If you cannot do the job and are not up to the task the door is always the option. If a pupil is dyslexic in the real world there are very few allowances made. Imagine sitting in the office and I say to Raj –Hey Raj, have you completed the work I set you? No, I need more time because I am dyslexic. In reality time is money. I will let you think about that one before I say something that is not politically correct.