A Study of Student Assessment and Grading System: Potentials and Challenges

Abstract

The way toward educating and realizing which is made-up to be important for the understudy loses its euphoria as a result of the negative implications of assessment. There is a need to look at the holistic assessment of a learner which also includes co scholastic area of Life Skills, Values and Attitudes, Games and Sports as well as Co- Curricular activities. We require taking a gander at the all-encompassing evaluation of a student which additionally contains curricular, co- educational everyday issue abilities, mentalities and qualities, sports and games just as co- curricular exercises. The destinations of the examination were, to comprehend the reviewing arrangement of substitute assessment; and furthermore to feature its difficulties, decisions and outcomes. The reviewing plan attempts at tending to both curricular and co-curricular exercises in a comprehensive way. The main capacity of Grading is to convey successfully to an assortment of partners the level of accomplishment of an individual understudy. The reviewing of understudies would likewise remove the alarming critical nature of imprints acquired in a test prompting a peaceful and happy learning climate in the school. It likewise empowers keeping up an important coherence in the appraisal design and furthermore guaranteeing an essential consistency in the schools. The crucial point of the present study was to understand the reviewing framework for understudy evaluation, its difficulties and results. Assessment is a basic piece of the instructive practice as some type of evaluation is basic to discover the viability of showing learning measures and their digestion by students. Outer assessments „are generally improper for the knowledge society? of the 21stcentury and its? require for imaginative issue solvers?, Questions if not organized well, \"call for repetition retention and neglect to test higher-request abilities like thinking and investigation, critical thinking, parallel reasoning, innovativeness and judgment. Assessment offers an indispensable measuring stick to pass judgment on the nature of understudies. It assumes a fundamental function in the instructive framework. It additionally enriches with inspiration and a feeling of direction to the two instructors and understudies to accomplish set objectives. The term assessment has come to be connected with pressure and tension.

Introduction

I. NTRODUCTION

Schools start ranking students, on the basis of their marks, from as early as their pre- primary years. Such an impel has several negative effects on learning. Students, parents and society at large become anxious in the race to attain more and more marks in examinations which leads to an extremely stressful existence. Moreover, while all out efforts are made to improve the reliability of examination, the human error cannot be avoided. This inadequacy can be overcome if the students are placed in ability bands that represent range of scores. This calls for a functional and reliable system of School-Based Evaluation.

Assessment gives a significant measuring stick to pass judgment on the nature of understudies. It assumes an indispensable function in the instructive framework. It additionally offers inspiration and a feeling of direction to the two educators and understudies to accomplish set objectives. The word assessment has come to be related with pressure and tension. The act of educating and realizing which is believed to be important for the understudy loses its delight due to these negative meanings of assessment.

The bigger setting of schooling is to prepare advanced residents for a significant and profitable life in a globalized society. There is a desperate need to develop the schooling framework significantly more so in a pluralistic culture which delivers itself to a heterogeneous gathering. Assessment is a method for perceiving the degree to which we have been fruitful in conferring such a training. Assessment is a fundamental piece of the instructive cycle as some type of evaluation is mandatory to decide the viability of showing learning measures and their absorption by students. Outer assessments „are generally unseemly for the „knowledge society? of the 21stcentury and its? need for imaginative issue solvers?, Questions if not outlined well, "call for repetition retention and neglect to test higher-request aptitudes like thinking and examination,                  horizontal              reasoning, inventiveness and judgment. Outer tests offer no leniency for various kinds of students and learning conditions and incite an in-ordinate level of nervousness and stress". (NCF- Position paper on Examination Reforms)

There was a need to look at the holistic assessment of a learner which also includes co scholastic area of Life Skills, Values and Attitudes, Games and Sports as well as Co- Curricular activities. The Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation scheme seeks at addressing this in a holistic manner. A number of National Committees and Commissions in the past have consistently made recommendations regarding sinking emphasis on external examination and encouraging internal assessment through School-Based Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation. Therefore, the CCE scheme brings about a paradigm shift from examination to effective pedagogy.

The National Policy on Education 1986 (NPE) and Programme of Action 1992 (POA) also envisaged the recasting of the examination system and has, inter alia, suggested that grades be used in place of marks.

National Curriculum Framework 2005(NCF) envisaged an evaluation system which would grade the students on their regular activities in the classroom and enable students to understand and focus on their learning gaps and learn through these as part of Formative Assessment. National Curriculum Framework 2005, while proposing Examination Reforms has also stated – “Indeed, Boards should consider, as a long- term measure, making the Class X Examination Optional, thus permitting students continuing in the same school(and who do not need a Board certificate) to take an internal school exam instead “. Honorable Union Minister for Human Resource Development also     announced-    ?Push     the     process     of examination reform in accordance with NCF 2005. This will include making the Class X examination optional, thus permitting students continuing in the same school (and who do not need a board certificate) to take an internal school assessment instead ?.

II. GRADING SCHEME DESCRIPTION

Grading must be understood as a process that identifies the most valuable kinds of learning in a course, constructs exams and assignments that will test that learning, sets standards and criteria, guides students ‘learning, and implements changes in teaching that are based on information from the grading process.

Grading is the ?process   by which a teacher assesses student learning through classroom tests and assignments, the context in which good teachers establish that process and the dialogue that surrounds grades and defines their meaning to various audiences?

1. Grading serves four roles:

a. It Evaluates the quality of a student‘s work;

b. It communicates with the student, as well as employers, graduate schools, and others;

c. It Motivates how the students study, what they focus on, and their involvement in the course;

d. It Organizes to mark transitions, bring closure, and focus effort for both students and teachers

2. This is the reason grading is so important for the assessment process – principally in the minds of faculty. The grades in themselves, particularly final   course grades,  may  be  ?isolated  artifacts?  which  are neither useful nor appropriate for institutional assessment needs. It is therefore not the actual grade that is useful for assessment but the grading processes

3. The authors assert that ?bridges    exit    that    can    help    faculty   and administrators+ link classroom grading processes to departmental and general education assessment?.

The primary function of Grading is to communicate effectively to a variety of stakeholders the degree of achievement of an individual student. The grading of students would also take away the frightening judgmental quality of marks obtained in a test leading to a stress free and joyful learning environment in the school. This will also enable maintaining a meaningful continuity in the assessment pattern from the primary level to the secondary level and also in ensuring a basic uniformity in the schools.

III. BENEFITS OF GRADING SCHEME

1. It will trim down stress and anxiety which often builds up during and after the examination which could have an unfavorable impact on young students especially in the age group of 13-18 years.
2. It will decrease the dropout rate as there will be less fear and anxiety related to performance.
3. In the past there was practice to often finish the whole syllabus much before time and follow it up with Pre-Boards and study leave. Now there will be greater focus on learning rather than teaching to the test.
4. The stress on conceptual clarification through experiential learning in the classroom will increase since there will be more time available for transaction of curriculum.
5. It will help the learners to increase holistically in terms of personality by also focusing on the co-scholastic aspects which will be assessed as part of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation scheme.
6. It is expected to prepare the students for life by making students physically fit, mentally alert and emotionally balanced.
7. The students will have more time on their hands to develop their interests, hobbies and personalities.
8. It will enable the students, parents and teachers to make an informed choice about subjects.
9. It will motivate learning in a friendly environment rather than in a fearful situation.
10. It will   equip   students   with   Life   Skills especially Creative and Critical thinking skills, social skills and coping skills which will keep them in a good stead when they enter into a highly competitive environment later on.

IV. PRINCIPLES FOR MANAGING GRADING PROCESS

A. Appreciate the Complexity of Grading; Use It as a Tool for Learning

1. Grading is a socially constructed and context- dependent process, and ?no grade or grading system is immutably right by some eternal standard.
2. The role of grades can change over time and they have different meaning for different groups of people.
3. There are four major roles of the grading process – evaluation, communication, motivation and organization.

B. Substitute Judgment for Objectivity

1. There is no absolutely objective evaluation.
2. The teacher must develop and render an informed and professional judgment within the context of the institution, students, and their future employees.

C. Distribute Time Effectively

1. Spend enough time to make a thoughtful, professional judgment, with reasonable consistency, and then move on.
2. Repeatedly reviewing work does not lead to perfect objectivity.

D. Be Open to Change

1. Your grades and grading system will be interpreted and used within the system that is not the one you wish for or the one you experienced as a student.
2. The social meaning of grading changes over time.
3. Be open to change but careful of grade inflation.

E. Listen and Observe

1. Students attach a meaning to grades that will most affect learning.
2. Be clear with the students about these meanings.
3. In establishing grades. You are invoking a set of cultural beliefs and values that will shape the learning potential of your grading process. The better you understand the culture, the better you can manage the grading process.

F. Communicate and Collaborate with Students

1. Explain the criteria and standards you hold for their work and seek their active engagement in the learning process.
2. Collaborate with the students to work toward common goals.
3. Integrate Grading with Other Key Processes
4. Make grading integral to everything else you do.

G. Seize the Teachable Moment

1. Informal feedback and discussion about grades is good for students.
2. Emotional moments can be valuable teaching moments in which lessons and values can be imparted to your student.

V. CHALLENGE OF GRADING PROCESS

1. The false hope of total objectivity in grading;
2. The false hope of total agreement about grading;
3. The false hope of a one-dimensional student motivation for learning?.

VI. ADVANTAGES OF GRADING SCHEME

1. It will minimize misclassification of students on the basis of marks.
2. It will eliminate unhealthy cut-throat competition among high achievers.
3. It will reduce societal pressure and will provide the learner with more flexibility.
4. It will lead to a focus on a better learning environment

References

[1] Abrami, Phillip C., Dickens, Wenda J., Perry, Raymond P., and Leventhal, Les (1980) Do Teacher Standards for Assigning Grades Affect Student Evaluations of Instruction? Journal of Educational Psychology, 72:107-118. [2] Braskamp Larry A. and Ory, John C. (1994) Assessing Faculty Work: Enhancing Individual and Institutional Performance. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass. [3] Epstein, D. (2006). ?A Different Take on Classroom ?Fairness.? Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved on feb. 15, 2014, from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2 006/01/27/grading [4] Honigman, R. (1997). ?The Grading System.? Archive of Essays on Higher Education. Retrieved on Feb. 15, 2014, from http://universitysecrets.com/essay02.htm [5] UIUC Center for Teaching Excellence (2004). ?Assigning Course Grades?. Measurement and Evaluation. Retrieved on Feb, 2014 from https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/hand le/2142/1894/Rough [6] UW Faculty Resource on Grading (2008). ?Pros and Cons of Typical grading Systems?. Retrieved on Feb. 16, 2014 from http://depts.washington.edu/grading/plan/proc on.htm

Copyright

Copyright © 2022 Mr. Dilip Lakra, Dr. Beenu Shukla. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.