The fall 2024 semester is slowly but steadily coming to a close, and it will undoubtedly go down in history. For whatever reason, a number of my professors have decided to adopt a different approach to grading. The class is graded using complete/incomplete instead of numbers. In essence, you earn credit for completing the assignment regardless of accuracy. It sounds like an academic ideal, and I entirely get the argument.
Getting an A does not always indicate that you understand the content. You might just be an expert at memorization.
This aggressive grading technique is supposed to reduce stress, but I find it does the reverse. I'm feeling a lot more scrutinised than previously. My professor's view of me is more important than the figure. Even though I understand that this is intended to help me learn, I still have a right/wrong approach. This appears to be their method of determining who cares and who doesn't.
One of my teachers does this as well as giving out pop quizzes. The questions are not assessed, but they are related to what we have read/discussed. We also get the opportunity to swap answers with a partner and clarify any questions/thoughts we have about the themes. We get these pop quizzes so frequently that we eventually get better at retaining and recalling knowledge and getting a better comprehension of what we don't understand by discussing aloud. This teaching method appeals to me. It forces me to think without being afraid of failing.
