A Short History of Grading Practices at Dalhousie University (1901-2021)
Saved in:
| Title: | A Short History of Grading Practices at Dalhousie University (1901-2021) |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Mackinnon, Sean P. (ORCID |
| Source: | Online Submission. 2022. |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 28 |
| Publication Date: | 2022 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Universities, Grading, Educational History, College Students, Student Evaluation, Grades (Scholastic), Grade Point Average, Experimental Teaching |
| Geographic Terms: | Canada |
| Abstract: | Grading practices at Dalhousie University have changed considerably over the past 120 years. From 1901 until the early 1970s, Dalhousie used a variant of the British system. Initially, a grade of 65% or higher was required for distinction. In 1937, Dalhousie moved to a 2-category system (Distinction vs. Ordinary Pass) and in 1942 the distinction grade cutoff was lowered to 60%. By the late 1940s, "Second Division" was subdivided into Seconds and Thirds, and First Division required an 80% or higher. By the late 1960s, there were conversions between American letter grades (A, B, C, D), divisions, and percentage grades. Moreover, a 4pt "merit point" system served as a prototype to Grade Point Averages (GPA). Experimental teaching and grading practices were explored in the 1970s. Officially, percentage grades were abolished and replaced with an 11-point letter grade scale from A+ to F. Unofficially, most professors and departments used idiosyncratic percentage-to-letter conversion schemes, though they were eventually standardized within (but not across) departments. In the 1990s, the 4.3 GPA system was standardized university-wide largely because it was thought to give students a competitive advantage for federal scholarships. In the 2010s, Dalhousie standardized percentage conversion schemes across all departments into one unified Common Grade Scale, partially due to GPA requirements for scholarships and graduate schools but also in response to student complaints about inconsistency. Overall, most grading changes in the past 120 years were implemented for the external communication value of grades rather than for their pedagogical value. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2022 |
| Accession Number: | ED620603 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED620603 Name: ERIC Full Text Category: fullText Text: Full Text from ERIC |
|---|---|
| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: ED620603 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Report PubTypeId: report PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: A Short History of Grading Practices at Dalhousie University (1901-2021) – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mackinnon%2C+Sean+P%2E%22">Mackinnon, Sean P.</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0921-9589">0000-0003-0921-9589</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kashif%2C+Shazia%22">Kashif, Shazia</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Online+Submission%22"><i>Online Submission</i></searchLink>. 2022. – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 28 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2022 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Reports - Descriptive – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Universities%22">Universities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grading%22">Grading</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+History%22">Educational History</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Evaluation%22">Student Evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grades+%28Scholastic%29%22">Grades (Scholastic)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+Point+Average%22">Grade Point Average</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experimental+Teaching%22">Experimental Teaching</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Canada%22">Canada</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Grading practices at Dalhousie University have changed considerably over the past 120 years. From 1901 until the early 1970s, Dalhousie used a variant of the British system. Initially, a grade of 65% or higher was required for distinction. In 1937, Dalhousie moved to a 2-category system (Distinction vs. Ordinary Pass) and in 1942 the distinction grade cutoff was lowered to 60%. By the late 1940s, "Second Division" was subdivided into Seconds and Thirds, and First Division required an 80% or higher. By the late 1960s, there were conversions between American letter grades (A, B, C, D), divisions, and percentage grades. Moreover, a 4pt "merit point" system served as a prototype to Grade Point Averages (GPA). Experimental teaching and grading practices were explored in the 1970s. Officially, percentage grades were abolished and replaced with an 11-point letter grade scale from A+ to F. Unofficially, most professors and departments used idiosyncratic percentage-to-letter conversion schemes, though they were eventually standardized within (but not across) departments. In the 1990s, the 4.3 GPA system was standardized university-wide largely because it was thought to give students a competitive advantage for federal scholarships. In the 2010s, Dalhousie standardized percentage conversion schemes across all departments into one unified Common Grade Scale, partially due to GPA requirements for scholarships and graduate schools but also in response to student complaints about inconsistency. Overall, most grading changes in the past 120 years were implemented for the external communication value of grades rather than for their pedagogical value. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2022 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: ED620603 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED620603 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 28 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Universities Type: general – SubjectFull: Grading Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational History Type: general – SubjectFull: College Students Type: general – SubjectFull: Student Evaluation Type: general – SubjectFull: Grades (Scholastic) Type: general – SubjectFull: Grade Point Average Type: general – SubjectFull: Experimental Teaching Type: general – SubjectFull: Canada Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: A Short History of Grading Practices at Dalhousie University (1901-2021) Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Mackinnon, Sean P. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kashif, Shazia IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 29 M: 06 Type: published Y: 2022 Titles: – TitleFull: Online Submission Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
