I am a college professor but at this time of year – finals week – I often feel like I am assessing the quality of eggs on a battery farm. The process of grading eggs and grading essays are not too dissimilar.
Eggs are categorised by shell condition and interior quality. A clean, crack-free shell and a nice round yolk might earn an egg a double A.
Similarly, a logical structure to the essay and a persuasive argument might get a student an A grade. This is the system we have, a method of evaluation used in education institutions around the world.
I have never though been entirely comfortable reducing students' creativity, effort, and discovery down to a single letter, A through F.
The idea of grading student work is traced back to 1792, when William Farish, a tutor at the University of Cambridge in the UK, borrowed the practice from the factories of his day. These newly industrialised production lines had begun using numbers to rank the quality of manufactured goods. Thus inspired, Farish began assigning numerical values to human thought. The educational grading system was born and soon caught on.
Despite the neat efficiency of grades, however, there are downsides to the system.
For one, they can end up becoming a goal in themselves. Some of us as students can become more focused on improving our grade point average than improving ourselves. If we are not careful, the focus on grades can erode our intrinsic educational motivation: our innate curiosity and love of learning its own sake.
Grades can also promote obsessive peer comparison and hyper-competitiveness. Neither of these traits are good for emotional well-being.
There is also the widespread problem of grade inflation, the tendency for A grades to increase at some institutions inexplicably. Given these concerns, grades are hardly an accurate reflection of a student's academic performance or ability.
To understand the meaning of an A grade, we have to see it in context: which year was it awarded, at which school, in which discipline and by which professor. Grades are not the universal currency of academic worth or employability that we often think they are.
There are, however, alternatives to grading, such as mastery or competency-based approaches. Within these, students are given time to master a particular learning objective before moving on. We can do it, or we can't, yet. We know it, or we don't, yet. You can fully conjugate Arabic verbs, or you can't – yet.
Other alternatives include encouraging students to engage in reflective self-assessment and compile digital portfolios to demonstrate clearly whether they have met their learning objectives and how so.
Grades are not an accurate reflection of a student's academic performance or ability
We can also combine these approaches with instructor perspectives. Course leaders and perhaps peers can provide constructive feedback, written and oral, on completed assignments or works in progress. Compared to letter grades, these approaches provide a much richer picture of students' academic performance, know-how and future employability.
These alternatives are catching on. A growing number of US universities have done away with the A-F letter grading system, or at least transformed the way it is used. For instance, Brown University allows students to opt-in or out of a grading system. The alternative to a grade is a transcript showing each course status as either "Satisfactory" or "No Credit". Furthermore, students at Brown are expected to build portfolios of their course work, experiences and achievements. The transcripts and grades, if opted for, are viewed as simply supplemental information. And they are not the only ones looking at alternatives to grades.
Reed College, Oregon, makes a positive effort to de-emphasise grades. They are recorded as students pass through the programme but students are not made aware of a grade unless there is a problem.
Several other US colleges, such as the liberal arts centres, Alverno College and Hampshire College, and Antioch University, have eliminated grades altogether. Such institutions typically opt for rich narrative evaluations provided by the course instructor at the end of each course. Evergreen State College in Washington describes this style of assessment as: "like getting a letter of recommendation for each class you take".
But don't employers and graduate schools need to look at grades and averages to inform their candidate selection? Not really. Selecting the most appropriate candidates could be more effectively achieved by employers and graduate schools setting their own specific standardised entrance exams or competency tests. Many forward-thinking organisations already do this.
Innovation often occurs by bringing ideas from one sector into a new context. Google is an excellent example of this. Their innovative search algorithm, PageRank, was modelled after "citation analysis", a practice popular in academia for evaluating an article's worth, or impact, based on how many times others cite it.
Perhaps it is time for educators to look for inspiration outside academia, on how to improve our evaluation of student performance. Some institutions, such as the University of California, have already begun experimenting with the idea of crowdsourcing feedback for student work.
Grades are a legacy of the industrial revolution. It is time to seriously rethink how we evaluate student performance and progress in the information age.
Ideally, new methods of assessment and evaluation should be aligned with the broader goal of education: enriching the lives of young people and improving our societies. Grade eggs, not people.
Justin Thomas is a professor of psychology at Zayed University and a columnist for The National
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
%3Cp%3EThe%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20-%20Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Arabic%20Language%20Centre%20will%20mark%20International%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Day%20at%20the%20Bologna%20Children's%20Book%20Fair%20with%20the%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Translation%20Conference.%20Prolific%20Emirati%20author%20Noora%20Al%20Shammari%2C%20who%20has%20written%20eight%20books%20that%20%20feature%20in%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Education's%20curriculum%2C%20will%20appear%20in%20a%20session%20on%20Wednesday%20to%20discuss%20the%20challenges%20women%20face%20in%20getting%20their%20works%20translated.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
BIG SPENDERS
Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Ahmed Raza, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Chirag Suri , Zahoor Khan
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
