1. Is professor Grossman off the mark when he says “I tell my classes that if they just do what they are supposed to do and meet the standard requirements, that they will earn a C,” he said. “That is the default grade. They see the default grade as an A.” why?
Professor Grossman, I believe, is correct in his statement. A basic understanding of the material and meeting standard requirements is what the average student demonstrates. A deep understanding of the material and being able to apply it outside of the class context in an above average manner puts the student in a position to earn an above average grade.
2. What do you think is causing students to feel entitled to receive a good grade? Is it because a grade of A is now the expected default for "average" work where in reality a grade of A denotes "above average"? Are the students prior experiences in high school or earlier the cause? Are parents to cause "my child is perfect so it must be the instructors fault"?
Educators, in most cases, up to that point were willing to accept just being present and going through the paces as acceptable work. In many cases the focus of a particular curriculum is just to prepare a student for a standardized test that, if scored high on, can secure the district with valuable funding. It does nothing for the overall education of the student and their preparedness to enter the world of higher education or be an asset in the general workforce. Parents need to stop coddling their children,blaming their teachers, and take an active role in their educational process.
3. Give your honest opinion of the article. Do you feel you deserve grades based on your effort or is it that you earned the grade you receive because of your effort? Anything else you would like to add?
No, you absolutely do not deserve higher grades based on the amount of effort you put into it. If the quality of the work is reflected by the amount of effort involved, yes, but not based strictly on effort. If you work really hard and the finished product is still bad why should you get more points, or pay if you were working. If the understanding of the material is not demonstrated, regardless of the level of effort, than a higher grade is not justified. Overall I agree with the sentiment of the article.
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