How entitled are you?
A February 18 article in the New York Times about those learners who believe they are academically entitled to high grades certainly caused some discussion among my colleagues, both here at Capella and at other institutions of higher learning across the country.
If the instructor does not subscribe to the philosophy of grade inflation (where all learners will receive an A, no matter how much or how little effort they put into the class) how can the learners get high grades – short of actually mastering the concepts and completing all of the work? According to the article, we are now seeing learners who expect a high grade just for attending class or for reading the assignments. Or, for putting a great deal of effort into a particular assignment.
But, as some of the professors in the article point out, the amount of time and effort you put into a particular assignment does not necessarily mean you have mastered the topic or that you will produce quality work. It certainly is possible that someone can spend a massive amount of time on an assignment and still fail it.
What should grades be based upon? That question has probably caused tension between learners and instructors for many decades.
Which would you rather have, an A in every class, or a mastery of the subject in every class? Which better prepares you for the “real world?” A 4.0 GPA or mastery of the subjects? A 4.0 or an ability to comprehend the assignment, read and think critically, follow the process, and hand in a quality product by the deadline? Will your next employer be as impressed with your 4.0 if you cannot demonstrate that you retained and can apply any of that knowledge?
How would you feel if you knew that everyone in the course received an A? What if you could tell from your conversations with others in the course that they really did not grasp the concepts and failed to reach the level of mastery that you did? Would your A feel cheap to you? Would you feel better about your A if your instructor gave you the only A, gave a few more a B, gave most of the class a C and gave some a failing grade?
When you complete assignments and hand them in, do you hope that you get an A because that is the grade you want? Or do feel very satisfied that your work really does show that you “get it,” that your writing keeps improving and that you truly are learning and growing intellectually – and that an A would merely be frosting on the cake?
Reference:
Roosevelt, M. (2009). Student Expectations Seen as Causing Grade Disputes, New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/education/18college.html?em
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April 21st, 2009 at 10:57 am
Constance:
Well Said! The issue of entitlement is an almost daily topic. We see entitlement in the expectations that individuals have for grades, with regard to tuition, and in how they want faculty to work with them. I don’t believe this stops in academia: society demands faster, better services for less effort and money. We are very spoiled, and we want what we want when we want it.
I think this becomes a bigger issue when what we want conflicts with what we need. Learners may want to be told that they are stellar and their effort was exemplary, however if it isn’t true, it is what they need? Grounding someone in reality or pragmaticism can sometimes be a real gift.
There is a belief in counseling that states if you are working harder in therapy than the client is, there is a BIG problem. I feel the same way about academics. Learning to think critically and be self-directed are hallmarks of scholarship! Giving in to issues of entitlement, I believe, hurts more than it helps.
Johnna Williams
April 22nd, 2009 at 11:22 am
Thanks for writing this.