The issue in which I would like to address on is about ‘Are the bell shape curve grading system helpful to NUS students?’ To grade according to the bell curve, means that the percentage of students who are awarded each grade is predetermined according to an estimation of what the norm is. The bell curve is constructed such that only top 10-15% of the students will have a grade of A, while majority of the students will fall into the grade C region. Grade B, D, E and F region will have smaller percentage as compared to C grade region.
The usefulness on this grading system is rather personal. With this sort of grading system, some of the students might find it helpful. For example, if they did not score well for the exam, the system will moderate such that their overall grade for that particular module will still ends up in the C or D grade region. On the other hand, others might find the grading system unfair. They did pretty well for a specific module but they only manage to get a B grade using the bell curve grading system when they deserve a better grade like an A grade.
In this research, I would like to determine the percentage of NUS students who find the bell curve shape grading system useful. Hence, conducting a survey to study this topic is crucial. Survey questions are created so as to get the ideas on how the students think and feel about the grading system NUS employed. With the help of the survey, I can collect and establish actual data about how many people think that the bell shape curve grading system is useful to them.
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3 comments:
Hi Pei Pei,
The bell curve is the common bane of all NUS students! Never once have I heard someone praising the bell curve for saving their grades! Indeed, many students have expressed the wish at doing away with the bell curve, but are unsure about the new system that should replace the bell curve.
While it may be useful to find out the opinions of NUS students regarding the bell curve, such a data may not be very relevant or useful to the school administrators. Even if most students requests for the bell curve to be rid off, the school administrators will still have to find an equivalent system to quantify the value of the students' work.
Furthermore, the usage of absolute grades may lead to grade inflation, where 50% of the class scores an "A". This may lead to a decrease in the quality of education provided by NUS.
Thus, the research topic has to be tweaked to take into account this potential problem so as to circumvent it if possible.
Hi Pei Pei,
I am one of the students who complain about the normal distribution curve, so I completely agree with the topic!
The grading system affects your transcript and your overall CAP.
My high school classmates in
India, who have had lower grades than average during those days, can easily obtain distinction (A grade) due to absolute grading. Giving them an upper edge in the global workplace. It is very clear that it is your GRADES which get you the interview for a job. Whether you pass the interview or not is another story. But, to get through the first hurdle it is your grades which talk the most.
However, extensive background research must be done to understand why NUS adopted this system in the first place. The survey could question the validity of such a reason and also whether the students can suggest an equivalent system.
PS: You might want to look at kiet's topic again because there is a difference between my topic and his.
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